Fuzzy Vandivier
Encyclopedia
Robert P. "Fuzzy" Vandivier (December 26, 1903 – July 30, 1983) was a well-known high school
and collegiate basketball
player during the 1920s. At Franklin High School he led a squad nicknamed "Franklin Wonder Five
", a team that compiled an 89-9 record, won three state championships (1920, 1921, 1922) and is considered the greatest Indiana High School team of all-time.
Vandivier has been named All-State three times (1920, 1921, 1922), being the first player ever to achieve this feat (since then, John Wooden
, Oscar Robertson
and George McGinnis
also achieved this level of success). Hall of Fame
coach John Wooden considered Vandivier the greatest high school basketball player of all time.
Following his outstanding high school career, Vandivier attended local Franklin College (1922-26). In each year he was named All-State, and in 1926 he was an All-Midwest College All-Star. Due to a painful back ailment in his senior year, Vandivier's playing career was cut short. After graduating from Franklin, he returned as basketball coach to his high school. Vandivier coached the Franklin High School basketball team from 1926 to 1944. In 1939, under his leadership, they earned a place in the Indiana state finals.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and collegiate basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player during the 1920s. At Franklin High School he led a squad nicknamed "Franklin Wonder Five
Franklin Wonder Five
The Franklin Wonder Five was a 1920s basketball team from Indiana's "Hoosier Hysteria" era. With basketball king in Indiana, the team from Franklin was dubbed the “Wonder Five”. This small town about 20 miles south of Indianapolis produced a team that captured the Indiana State Basketball...
", a team that compiled an 89-9 record, won three state championships (1920, 1921, 1922) and is considered the greatest Indiana High School team of all-time.
Vandivier has been named All-State three times (1920, 1921, 1922), being the first player ever to achieve this feat (since then, John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
, Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
and George McGinnis
George McGinnis
George F. McGinnis is a retired American professional basketball player, most notably with the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association . He was drafted into the ABA from Indiana University in 1971...
also achieved this level of success). Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
coach John Wooden considered Vandivier the greatest high school basketball player of all time.
Following his outstanding high school career, Vandivier attended local Franklin College (1922-26). In each year he was named All-State, and in 1926 he was an All-Midwest College All-Star. Due to a painful back ailment in his senior year, Vandivier's playing career was cut short. After graduating from Franklin, he returned as basketball coach to his high school. Vandivier coached the Franklin High School basketball team from 1926 to 1944. In 1939, under his leadership, they earned a place in the Indiana state finals.