[Xs & Joes #47] Bill Murphy Part 3 - The Legend of Branch McCracken
Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth continue their conversation with IU historian Bill Murphy, shifting from football glory to basketball history.
Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth continue their conversation with IU historian Bill Murphy, shifting from football glory to basketball history.
This installment dives deep into the Branch McCracken era, revealing why Bill’s favorite IU coach isn’t who most fans would expect.
Branch McCracken: The Sheriff
Bill makes his case for Branch McCracken over Bob Knight, drawing fascinating parallels between the two legendary coaches.
Branch coached 24 years (1938-1965, minus three years serving in WWII), finishing first or second in the Big Ten in 12 of those seasons with two national titles. Knight coached 29 years, finishing first or second in 16 seasons with three titles.
Bill argues that had NCAA tournament rules been different, Branch might have won in 1960 when IU beat Ohio State by 16 in Bloomington after their last 12-game win streak, while Knight’s 1987 title came when IU tied for the Big Ten title with three other teams.
Bill recounts meeting Branch as an eighth grader in New Albany, a handshake he didn’t want to wash for a week, and describes a six-foot-four presence who earned nicknames like “The Sheriff” and “The Bear” while drinking coffee at every shop on the Bloomington square to keep tabs on his players.
The Van Arsdale Twins’ Supernatural Symmetry
The conversation turns to Tom and Dick Van Arsdale, whose three-year careers produced jaw-dropping statistical similarities:
Separated by just 12 points over 72 games (1,252 to 1,240)
Only 10 rebounds apart (729 to 719)
Both hit exactly 15 field goals in their career-high game against Notre Dame
Constantly pranked Branch by wearing mismatched socks after he tried to distinguish them by color
Officials sometimes let the wrong twin shoot free throws because they couldn’t tell them apart
Mike shares stories from his father, who lived in the SAE house with the twins and John McGlocklin—three of IU’s seven all-time NBA All-Stars living in the same room.
Chesty Chips and Television History
Bill reveals how IU became the first university to televise basketball games in 1950 when radio announcer Paul Lennon convinced a Terre Haute potato chip company to sponsor games for $1,500 each.
After one broadcast, Chesty Potato Chips went from one shift to three and sold out across the region, causing the price to jump to $5,000 per game the next year.
Branch’s Boys
Bill shares his favorite McCracken moments—from officials threatening a technical for every step back to the bench (so players carried him), to another ref getting him to sit down by saying “your fly is open,” to Branch’s simple philosophy: if he could only win one game all year, it would be against Purdue. That hatred paid off in 1940 when IU swept Purdue but finished second in the Big Ten, yet still received the NCAA tournament invitation over the conference champs.
This episode brought to you by the Back Home Network and Homefield Apparel.
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