PENDLETON — An Indiana basketball legend is looking to Pendleton, a town with a lot of basketball tradition, to help start a new semi-pro league.
Kent Benson, a two-time All-American who helped lead Indiana University to an undefeated season and national championship in 1976, is chairman and co-founder of Hoosier Hardwood Basketball Association.
Benson, who played 11 years in the NBA and was the No. 1 overall draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1977, recently announced the creation of the new league that has plans to play its inaugural season in 2021 with teams in Pendleton, New Castle, Terre Haute and Bedford.
The Hoosier great is business partners with former Pendleton resident Bob Petty, who now lives in San Diego. Petty is president and co-founder of the league.
Benson and Petty have worked together with an after-school program called Bibles for Ballers. Petty currently runs some semi-pro teams in California.
“It’s a great basketball town with Kellen Dunham, Sean McDermott (both former stars at Butler University), Mike Case and a lot of talented players,” Benson said of Pendleton. “There’s a lot of great tradition. That was one of our original teams we wanted to start out with along with New Castle, Terre Haute and Bedford.”
Benson said the league is in its early stages and is still looking for team owners, sponsors, coaches and general managers. Its first combine/tryout is slated for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Hoosier Gym in Knightstown.
They are hopeful to have exhibition games by the end of November or early December, with the regular season running from March through May. Teams will play a 20-game schedule with 10 home games and 10 away games.
Teams will have 12 players with eight paid players and four practice players. According to a press release on the league, compensation would vary from $500 to $2,000 per month, depending on experience and expertise.
Benson said there have been talks about facility use with South Madison Community School Corp., which he has worked with in the past with Bibles for Ballers.
“There’s a lot of really good talent out there in the state of Indiana and around that aren’t qualified to be NBA players,” Benson said. “We wanted to bring a new look to pro basketball where the players will be involved with the communities, the schools and the students.
“Plus, we want to give an opportunity to help a dream come true for some of these players that have had dreams of playing professional ball.”
Dunham said he is considering being part of the league in some capacity, whether it’s recruiting players, being part of the organization side or playing. He played last season with the Capital City Go-Go, a G-League team affiliated with the NBA’s Washington Wizards.
He was asked last week by Petty and Benson about being involved with the HHBA.
He is also considering continuing his professional basketball career overseas.
“They’re trying to bring the glory of God through the game of basketball and tapping into the youth in the area and getting players involved in basketball as role models,” Dunham said. “It sounded like a pretty good opportunity from my point of view. My wife and I are considering it; we’re not all in by any means, but it sounds like they are doing some good work in getting this league organized.”
Benson said the league is just in its early stages of getting the information out, but he has already heard from other towns/cities in the basketball-hungry state. Other places that have shown interest in getting involved, include Evansville, Jeffersonville, Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Valparaiso, Muncie, Richmond and Lafayette.
“A lot of interest is starting to generate and we’re just getting started,” Benson said.