Indiana Mr. Basketball
IU basketball
Imagine scoring 66 points in a high school basketball game, and not holding the school’s single-game scoring record.
Dave couldn’t match brother Bill’s 70 point-game, but still carved out his place in Hoosier Hysteria. He was Mr. Basketball in 1970, although he was injured and could only make a token appearance in one of the All-Star games against Kentucky.
That was the first chapter in a hard-luck career in many ways. He took a scholarship to IU and starred on the freshman team, but Bob Knight took over the program heading into his sophomore season – a sea change, to say the least. He was involved in a major auto accident before that season began when a drunk driver hit him head-on on Highway 37. He wasn’t able to play until midway through that season, and probably shouldn’t have played then, but got through it. He wasn’t a fit for Knight’s coaching style or personality, and transferred to Mississippi after the season.
He had a nice career there, earning all-conference honors as a senior, but that accident back in Bloomington changed his outlook. Basketball wasn’t as important any longer because he knew it could be taken away at any time. A career beyond basketball was more important, because it was going to be a necessity at some point regardless. Shepherd has thrived in the business world, with an insurance and financial planning business that includes nine locations around the state.
He’s got great stories. Some of the better Knight stories came after the microphones were turned off, but the ones he told for the show were plenty good enough. Even without his season with Knight, there’s plenty to talk about.
We recorded this one in the studio, about an hour after his one-season teammate at IU, Steve Downing, stopped by for his episode.
First aired 2012
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