Damon Bailey

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Damon Bailey (born October 21, 1971, in Heltonville, Indiana) is a former basketball player, who has been regarded as a basketball idol in the state of Indiana since Bob Knight called him a "hot prospect" when Bailey was in eighth grade. His fame spread through the state after his four consecutive first-team all-state selections in high school. In 1990 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Bailey's Bedford North Lawrence Stars won the state championship in a comeback victory in front of a crowd of more than 41,000 people, with Bailey scoring his team's final 11 points. He finished high school as the state's all-time leading scorer, with 3,134 in his career, and captured the title of "Mr. Basketball" his senior year.

[edit] College career

After his high school years, Bailey played under coach Bobby Knight at Indiana University along with other IU greats Calbert Cheaney, Alan Henderson, and Greg Graham. A four-year starter there, Bailey finished sixth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1741 points. He also garnered a third-team All-American award, first-team All-Big Ten award, and led IU to a Final Four appearance in 1992 before losing to the eventual champions, the Duke Blue Devils.

[edit] Post-collegiate career

Bailey was selected with the 44th overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft by his hometown Indiana Pacers, much to the delight of hoosiers throughout the state, who thought they would get the chance to see their hero play basketball in Indiana again. They were sorely disappointed, however, as Bailey was cut after one season on the team's injured list and a series of pre-season games the following year. [1] He played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for a number of years before returning to Indiana to start a series of basketball camps for kids. He is currently the boys' basketball coach for his alma mater Bedford North Lawrence High School, whose team finished 11-10 in his first year as coach.