Chasing Indiana's Game

Chris Smith has travelled the US and Caribbean for more than 35 years as a photographer for Fortune 500 companies and editorial outlets like the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Traveler, and Smithsonian Magazine. He also teaches photography at Northern Kentucky University and in 2013, inspired by a photograph of his father's 1937 basketball team, began work on the Hoosier Hardwood project. He lives on a farm in southeastern Indiana with his wife, Elise, not far from their two daughters, Kaitlin and Maggie.Michael E. Keating is a photojournalist whose career spans five decades. A Perry County, Indiana, native, Keating worked for newspapers in Cannelton, Tell City, and Evansville and was named Indiana News Photographer of the Year in 1977. Keating joined the staff of the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1978 where his prize-winning work garnered local, regional, state, and national recognition. Keating won an Emmy for a collection of videos in 2009 and earned another nomination in 2018 for a documentary short on the creation of a sculpture of Pete Rose in a headfirst slide. He is the author of Cincinnati Shadow & Light. He lives with his wife, Sarah, in the greater Cincinnati area. They have two grown children.

• ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChris Smith PhotographsMichael E. Keating Photographs

"My greatest basketball memories come from playing in gymnasiums throughout central Indiana during my high school basketball career. The photographs in this book rekindled the excitement of those days and introduced me to places that I wasn't even aware of. This book will take you down memory lane."—George McGinnis, Indiana Mr. Basketball,  ABA and NBA All-Star, and Basketball Hall of Famer"Looking through this book brings back so many memories and dreams of growing up in the small town of Claypool. The community support and pride for Indiana's game was evident back then through packed gyms, bonfires, cakewalks, and penny pitches. The care shown for the gyms, barns, and outdoor courts in this book is evidence that we still have pride and dreams in communities around the state. Thanks for preserving these memories and providing dreams for future players!"—Judi Warren, Indiana's first Miss Basketball, 1976"Nothing is more important than pride and community when it comes to understanding the importance of basketball in Indiana. Those gymnasiums across the state are gathering places where games brought together rivals, families, and friends to watch the game that Indiana made famous. . . . This collection of photographs from places throughout the state captures the spirit of the game and reflects the sense of community pride."—Bobby Plump, member of the 1954 Milan High School state championship team."Chris and Michael's photos bring to life the past and present of Indiana high school basketball—the players, the places, the fans. I am always amazed to see how they are able to find a little detail in a photo that tells a story better than words possibly could. This book is a must-have for Indiana high school basketball fans."—Kyle Neddenriep, The Indianapolis Star