Dick Van Arsdale died Monday, leaving the Indiana basketball world without one of its all-time favorites. He and his twin brother, Tom Van Arsdale, were named All-Americans for the Hoosiers in the early 1960s. He passed away in Arizona at the age of 81.
Growing up in Indianapolis, the twins attended Manuel High School, where they advanced to the 1961 state championship game. Their career averages were 17.4 and 17.2 points, respectively, during their four years together and at Indiana. Dick played with the Phoenix Suns in Arizona for the majority of his life and was a three-time NBA All-Star. When he retired, he was the Suns’ all-time top scorer and the first player they had selected in the draft.
On Monday night at Hoosier Hank’s in Bloomington, Mike Woodson, the basketball coach for Indiana and a native of Indianapolis, discussed Van Arsdale on his weekly radio show.
Hoosier Nation is having a sad day,” Woodson remarked. Mike Woodson and many of the individuals who followed him were made possible by a number of players in Indiana basketball. I adore and respect Tom and Dick unconditionally. His absence will be felt. Given how close they were, I know it’s difficult for Tom.
During his Don Fischer-hosted presentation, Woodson covered a wide range of subjects. He talked about the latest on sophomore guard Gabe Cupps, who underwent knee surgery last week, and analyzed the team’s defeat against Nebraska on Friday night, where they were outscored 17-1 in the last 6:51 and made just eight of their 35 three-point attempts.