Page 5 - The History of Lafayette Area Boys Basketball

Faye Branham

High School: Crawfordsville (1928) College: International College Induction: 1978
1. Member of the first central committee for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
2. President of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors (1971).
3. Served as an IHSAA basketball & football official.

Denny Brady

High School: Lafayette Jeff (1964) College: Purdue (1969) Induction: 2006
1. Mr. Basketball award-winner that led the Lafayette Jeff Bronchos to the 1964
State Championship.
2. Also an All-State Baseball player for the Bronchos.
3. Played basketball & basketball @ Purdue before being drafted by the New York
Knicks. Signed a professional baseball contract & played 3-seasons for the
Cleveland Indians.
4. Coached basketball, baseball, & golf in Benton Harbor (MI) & Attica.

Ward Brown

High School: Rossville (1935) College: Indiana State (1941) Induction: 1981
1. 4-year basketball player for Rossville from 1931-35.
2. Earned 3 letters in basketball for Glenn Curtis at Indiana State.
3. 41-year career in high school athletics that included 5 years as
Principal at Martinsville & 10 years as Principal at Crawfordsville.
4. Served on IHSAA Council & IHSAA Board of Control.
5. Held positions of IHSAA Assistant Commissioner & Commissioner.
a. Oversaw growth of Girls Basketball & Football tournaments.
b. Established the IHSAA Headquarters in Indianapolis.

Phil Buck

High School: Rossville (1947) College: Indiana (1951) Induction: 1983
1. Won 495 games during a 37-year coaching career that included stops
at Flora, Rossville, Frankfort, & Anderson Madison Heights
a. Won 13 Sectional, 4 Regional, & 1 Semi-State championship.
b. IBCA District Coach-of-the-Year in 1972.
2. A 4-year letterman for Rossville, he led the Hornets to 2 Frankfort Sectional titles
& a 1947 Regional title.
3. Selected to 1947 All-State team & Member of 1947 Indiana All-Star team.
4. 1972 Silver Anniversary Team.
5. Played college basketball at Indiana University.

5