Piece of IU Hoosiers basketball history finds new home

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Don Davis considers himself the “typical crazy IU fan.” Growing up in Mooreland in Henry County, he and his friends often played hoops late into the night, pretending they were on the floor of Assembly Hall. Now he and his family are season ticket holders and drive five-plus hours roundtrip to support the team.

His family’s home in central Illinois is a shrine to Indiana University basketball. Among the framed jerseys, signed photos and other Hoosier memorabilia is a unique piece of basketball history. What once sat on the court at Indiana University’s Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall now sits in Don Davis’ basement. His son says it’s the greatest piece in his collection. Don Davis owns a piece of the scorer’s table from Assembly Hall, complete with the possession arrow.

Davis purchased the table in an online auction last year. The table sat on the court for the Hoosiers from 2006 until it was removed in 2022. The cost? $1,500 for the table, plus shipping. Davis had it delivered via moving company to his home in Illinois. Davis then discovered he could not get the table into his basement without taking it apart. “Probably should have measured it first but then I might not have bought it” Davis said. After disassembling and re-assembling, Davis’ prized possession found its new home. It’s a little bit of the floor of Assembly Hall, on his basement floor.

The table that once witnessed countless moments of Hoosier basketball history, is now witness to the Davis family and its “crazy and over the top IU fan” dad. Davis says the family enjoys watching IU games, entertaining friends and family and most recently, Valentine’s Day activities at the table. He plans to purchase matching chairs and hopes to someday return the video board and lights to their original working condition. Davis praises his wife for supporting his fandom and not taking offense when he says, “Honey, guess what I bought now.”