“No 1987 Banner Without Them”: The Untold Story of the Two Juco Additions Who Changed Indiana Basketball — And the Mystery Behind the Iconic Jersey Numbers
When fans look up at the 1987 national championship banner hanging proudly in Assembly Hall, they remember the shot — Keith Smart’s baseline jumper with five seconds left to seal a 74-73 win over Syracuse. They remember Coach Bobby Knight’s fierce sideline glare, the crisp passing, the hard-nosed defense.
But what many don’t realize is this: Without two unsung junior college (JUCO) additions, that banner might never have gone up at all.
They weren’t the stars. They weren’t the faces of national interviews or Nike commercials. But they were the heartbeat — the gritty, experienced glue that held the team together. And strangely enough, their stories intertwine around something seemingly minor yet deeply symbolic: jersey numbers.
🔍 The Forgotten Duo That Defined a Season
In the fall of 1985, Indiana Basketball was recovering from a turbulent stretch. Bobby Knight’s program had talent, but chemistry and maturity were lacking. So the staff took a chance on two experienced junior college transfers — Daryl Thomas and Joe Hillman — who had flown under the radar.
Thomas, a 6’7” forward with a soft touch and a hard edge, arrived from a Chicago-based JUCO with a reputation for toughness and leadership. Hillman, a wiry guard from California, brought a rare mix of confidence and composure.
Neither came in with promises of stardom. But both earned Knight’s trust the hard way: relentless effort, basketball IQ, and commitment to the team-first mentality that defined Indiana basketball.
“You don’t win championships with just talent,” Knight once said. “You win with men who do the dirty work when no one’s watching. That’s what Daryl and Joe did.”
🧢 The Jersey Numbers — Coincidence or Destiny?
Now here’s where the legend gets strange.
Upon joining the team, Thomas was handed jersey No. 23, and Hillman took No. 10 — numbers that would later be stitched into Indiana lore. But the process of assigning those numbers wasn’t as random as fans might think.
According to longtime team equipment manager Tim Garber, Coach Knight himself had final say over certain players’ numbers — particularly those he viewed as key to the locker room dynamic.
“Knight was superstitious,” Garber recalled in a 2014 interview. “He believed in the psychological weight of a number. He gave No. 23 to Daryl because it had previously belonged to a player who brought balance and leadership. He told Daryl, ‘This number means something. Make it yours.’”
Hillman’s No. 10 was meant to honor a past floor general known for his cool under pressure — someone Knight felt Joe resembled in temperament, even as a newcomer.
The theory? Give these JUCO guys the numbers that came with expectation, and they’d rise to the challenge.
🏆 The Run to Glory
By the time the 1986–87 season rolled around, Indiana was battle-tested, balanced, and laser-focused. Steve Alford was the sharpshooter. Keith Smart was the spark plug. But Daryl Thomas was the glue — the calming force in the post who could pass, rebound, and hit the mid-range shot when needed.
In the national title game, with the clock winding down, Thomas made a crucial decision that would go down in history: he passed up a shot to feed Smart in the corner — a moment of pure unselfishness that led to the championship-winning bucket.
“That pass made the play,” Smart said years later. “Daryl saw it. Trusted me. Trusted the moment.”
Hillman, for his part, came off the bench in key games that season to steady the offense and protect leads, often running the second unit with quiet confidence.
🧠 Beyond the Numbers: Legacy Sealed
Today, the story of the 1987 Indiana Hoosiers often centers on Knight and Smart — and rightly so. But if you ask those who were there, they’ll tell you that without the two JUCO warriors who came in with no promises and left with rings, the season might have ended very differently.
“You don’t hang a banner without Thomas and Hillman,” said former teammate Todd Meier. “They didn’t just fill gaps — they defined the character of that team.”
🕯️ A Final Note
Daryl Thomas tragically passed away in 2018 at just 52 years old. At his memorial, former players and coaches gathered to remember his impact — not just on the court, but on people’s lives.
And yes, hung on a hook at the front of the church, framed in glass, was a red Indiana jersey with the number 23.
The number that wasn’t just given — but trusted to a player who would carry the weight of a championship season on his back.
So next time you glance up at that 1987 banner, remember this: Two JUCO players, two jersey numbers, and a quiet force that helped etch Indiana basketball into history.
