Former Indiana sports journalist Terry Hutchens was recently inducted into the United States Basketball Writers Association’s Hall of Fame. The class of inductees included Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch, Donna Ditota of the Syracuse Post-Standard, and Chris Dortch of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. USBWA President Brendan Quinn praised the inductees for their dedication to covering college basketball and providing readers with valuable information and perspective.
Hutchens began his career in Indiana in 1986, working for the Indianapolis News before joining IndyStar, where he covered Indiana University sports for 15 years. He continued his career with CNHI Sports Indiana until his tragic death in a car accident in 2018 at the age of 60. Hutchens was known for his extensive coverage of IU, writing 11 books, and teaching journalism at IU. He was a five-time recipient of the Indiana Sportswriter of the Year award and had a reputation for mentoring young reporters.
Starting as a general assignment reporter, Hutchens eventually focused on sports, covering a wide range of events including high school sports, racing, and the Pan Am Games. He reported on Wrestlemania VIII in 1992, a significant event for Indianapolis at the time. Hutchens took over the Colts beat in 1991 and then transitioned to become IndyStar’s IU beat writer in 1998. He documented key moments in IU sports history, such as the end of the Bob Knight era and coach Terry Hoeppner’s battle with brain cancer.
Having grown up in southern California with a passion for basketball, Hutchens was inspired by UCLA legends John Wooden and Bill Walton. His dream of becoming a sports writer led him to study journalism at California State University, Fullerton, where he began covering high school sports for the Fullerton Daily News Tribune. Hutchens moved to Indiana at the age of 28, embarking on a successful career focused on his beloved Hoosiers that ultimately led to his induction into
+ There are no comments
Add yours