By Nick Poust

At Muncie North High School and then Indiana University, Phil Isenbarger played basketball under two Hall of Fame coaches, Myron Dickerson and Bobby Knight, respectively. Now, he’s about to be in their company once more, with his upcoming induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Isenbarger is one of 12 Indiana basketball legends who will be enshrined March 22, 2017.

Isenbarger was surprised by his inclusion.

“When you think about the long history that Indiana has had in basketball and the number of people who have contributed to it in great ways, and the very small piece of that I’m involved with, you feel undeserving of that group and incredibly honored to be included with any of those folks the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame has inducted over the years,” Isenbarger said.

Isenbarger, a 6-foot-8 power forward, was all-state and all-conference at Muncie North, averaging 19 points and 18 rebounds as a senior. After he nearly committed to Miami (Ohio) University, Indiana University expressed interest and he became an integral part of three NCAA Tournament teams. He was a senior co-captain on the 1981 national championship team. For the past 20-plus years, he has coached boys and girls varsity basketball at Zionsville High School.

“Basketball has always been a huge part of my life, starting as a young boy growing up in Muncie, Indiana,” Isenbarger said. “I was really fortunate to be surrounded by teams and players and coaches to follow as a young kid. I played with an incredible number of talented players in high school, which allowed me to be seen eventually by coach Knight. At Indiana, again, I got to play with an unbelievable number of talented players who ended up being All-Americans, NBA players and NBA coaches.”

For Isenbarger, coaching allows him to give back to a sport that has given so much to him. When he began coaching at ZCHS, one of his first players was Brad Stevens, former Butler University men’s basketball coach and current Boston Celtics head coach.

“I really enjoy coaching from a standpoint that I obviously love the game, but I think it’s a great teacher in terms of life lessons that kids can take on and use in their lives,” Isenbarger said. “I hope every once in a while to connect on that level.”