Rolling Some Extra ‘Hoosiers’ Credits

Strange but true facts about the 1986 movie “Hoosiers”:

--After filming, producers bought the actors portraying Hickory High players state championship rings that read: “1952 Indiana State High School Champions” encircled around the players’ names. They got a deal on them, too. Brad Long, the actor who played Buddy, the team’s mouthy point guard, sold class rings.

--Producers had a problem with the state-of-the-art scoreboard that hung over the court at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, where championship-game scenes were filmed. It had to be covered with a large black canvas during shooting because that style of scoreboard hadn’t been invented by the early 1950s.

--All of the actors on the Hickory team played high school basketball except one--Maris Valainis, who played the Huskers’ star player, Jimmy Chitwood.

--The last names of the South Bend Central players, Hickory’s championship-game opponent, were taken from the real last names of actors portraying Hickory players. Boyle, Central’s guard, came from Brad Boyle, who played Whit, etc.

--Ray Craft, who started in the backcourt for the 1954 Milan High team that inspired the movie, had a small role as the tournament official who greets the Hickory team as it enters the gym for the championship game. Craft is the assistant commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Assn.

--In the original script, Chitwood had a younger brother who was injured while participating in a donkey basketball game. Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) was supposed to take the youngster to the hospital, thus forming a bond with Jimmy. The script also called for Buddy to have a love interest--a cheerleader. Both scenes were later written out.

--The movie premiered in Indianapolis in November, 1986, and wasn’t well-attended. Hopper was the only star who showed up.

--There is no Hickory High. The gym used for shooting home-court scenes is located in Knightstown, Ind. (No, it’s not named after Indiana Coach Bobby Knight).

--During filming, several players suffered blisters on their feet from playing in the canvas high-top shoes. They had been used to playing in modern leather models.