Keith Smart

After transferring from Garden City CC, Keith Smart played two seasons at Indiana, capped by his title-clinching shot and Final Four MOP honor in 1987.

With Indiana trailing Syracuse by one and five seconds remaining in the 1987 national championship game, Keith Smart caught an inbound pass in the left corner and hit a baseline jumper over Howard Triche to give Indiana a 74-73 victory — one of the most celebrated shots in tournament history. He attended Garden City Community College before transferring to Indiana University under coach Bob Knight. He won the national championship in 1987 as a junior college transfer in his first season as a Hoosier. His career-defining moment came with five seconds remaining in the 1987 championship game against Syracuse — with Indiana trailing by one, he received the ball in the left corner, shot a baseline jumper over Howard Triche and the ball swished through to give Indiana a 74-73 victory. The shot is one of the most celebrated in championship game history. He averaged 11.8 points per game across two Indiana seasons. He was drafted in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft. His professional career was modest. His significance in basketball history rests entirely on those championship game seconds at the Superdome in New Orleans — a transfer student from a junior college hitting the winning shot in the national championship. He later became an NBA head coach.

Smart was known for his clutch shooting ability and composure in high-pressure situations. He possessed excellent court vision and leadership skills as a point guard, capable of running Indiana's disciplined offensive system effectively.

Smart's championship-winning shot remains one of the most iconic moments in NCAA tournament history and helped cement Indiana's 1987 perfect season as legendary.

• NCAA Champion 1987
• Final Four Most Outstanding Player 1987