Mac's Boys: Branch McCracken and the Legendary 1953 Hurryin' Hoosiers

This is the story of the 1953 Hoosiers, NCAA champions, coached by Branch McCracken and boldly led by star players Bobby Leonard and Don Schlundt. This legendary Indiana University team from the pre-Bob Knight era has begun to fade from memory, but Mac's Boys brings it vividly back to life.

One of the Hoosier state's most beloved basketball teams, the 1953 Hoosiers was also one of the best in the history of college hoops. It was a squad that had a great coach, a pair of star players, and teammates who accepted their roles and executed them flawlessly. With Leonard and Schlundt sharing the spotlight, there was the versatile forward Dick Farley (who would have been an All-American had he played on any other team), tenacious rebounder Charlie Kraak, and the hustling, ball-hawking guard Burke Scott. They were the heart of a team that put together one of the greatest hot streaks ever seen in Big Ten basketball, and then capped it off with a run through the NCAA tournament.

Mac's Boys recreates the terrific story of Indiana's magical 1952-53 season. For Hoosier fans especially, it will become a treasured tale that illuminates one of the most glorious chapters of Indiana University basketball history.

Jason Hiner is an Indiana University graduate, journalist and sportswriter, IU basketball columnist for Inside Indiana, and author of The Indiana University Basketball Encyclopedia. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Indiana Historical Society, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He lives in Huntington, Indiana.