BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana plans to build a bronze statue of longtime coach Bob Knight inside Assembly Hall, where he led the Hoosiers to national championships in 1976, 1981 and 1987.
The announcement came Monday night while the Hoosiers were playing Oregon in a Big Ten game — and on the same night the school celebrated the 1975-76 team that remains the last undefeated national champ in Division I men's basketball.
School officials say Knight's statue will be placed next to another one honoring the 1975-76 title team, and will be funded by a longtime basketball donor who wants to remain anonymous.
“Coach Knight’s influence on the game of basketball is immeasurable, but his impact on this university and Hoosier basketball fans is even deeper,” athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement. “On a personal level, having started my career here as a student manager under coach Knight, I saw firsthand the unparalleled standard of excellence he demanded. He taught me, and countless others, that success is the result of meticulous preparation and unwavering discipline. This statue will be a well-deserved tribute to a man who didn’t just win games; he changed how the sport is played.”
Knight won a school-record 662 games and 11 Big Ten titles during his tenure from 1971-2000. He was fired in September 2000 following an incident with a student in a hallway and later landed at Texas Tech, where he finished his career as Division I's winningest coach with 902 career wins.
He also was known for his fiery temper — and once throwing a chair during a home game against rival Purdue.
Knight died in October 2023 and still ranks sixth among all coaches in victories. He also won a gold medal as the coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and is a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, the National College Basketball Hall of Fame, and Indiana's Athletics Hall of Fame.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
FILE - Former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight speaks during campaign stop for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Indianapolis on April 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
DENVER (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, including two free throws with 0.9 seconds left after James Harden's tying 3-pointer, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 119-117 on Monday night.
Harden finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in his second game with Cleveland. Harden, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4, scored 23 points in his Cavaliers' debut three nights later.
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, but missed a potential winning 3-point shot at the buzzer. Two nights after Jokic passed Oscar Robertson for second place in career triple-doubles, he notched his 183rd.
Monday night was the 14th time Harden has played against Denver since the start of the 2024-25 season, including a seven-game slugfest in the first round of the playoffs last year.
“Even if you’re prepared for (Harden), his ability to go get 28 and 12, it’s historical,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said before the game.
Harden keyed a Cleveland rally that cut Denver’s 11-point lead to 106-104 but Christian Braun, playing his fourth game back from a left ankle injury, drained a 3-pointer and Jonas Valanciunas hit two free throws to make it 111-104.
Mitchell's lob to Jarrett Allen, who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, for an alley-oop dunk made it a one-point game, and after Jokic's hook shot, Harden hit a step-back 3-pointer to tie it 117-all with 32 seconds left. Tim Hardaway missed at the other end and Jamal Murray fouled Mitchell, who calmly drained the winning free throws.
Mitchell added 10 assists for the Cavaliers, who have won eight of their last nine.
Murray finished with 17 points and 11 assists for Denver, which has dropped four of its last five games.
Cavs: Hosts the Wizards on Wednesday night.
Nuggets: Host the Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther, left, and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell pursue a loose ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill, left, fouls Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray as he drives to the net in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, left, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, left, is called for a foul as he elbows Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden, right, goes up to block a shot by Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
