Phil Wendel '86, Scott Skiles and Teammates Reunite to Celebrate 1982 State HS Basketball Championship

December 7, 2006

December 7, 2006, Greencastle, Ind. - Phil Wendel '86 and his teammates reunited "Tuesday night at Plymouth High School (where) the community welcomed home a group of heroes that won the 1982 state basketball championship," reports the Pilot News. "Every player from that magical team made it back to Plymouth for a banquet held prior to the junior varsity game. They were later introduced to a huge crowd in the gym.... (including Scott) Skiles, the all-state selection from Plymouth and the current head coach of the Chicago Bulls," writes Ken Fox.

The story adds, "Wendel, the quiet guard, was awarded the prestigious Trester Award following the Pilgrims' title game. Earlier this year, Wendel was voted into the DePauw University Athletic Hall of Fame."

Wendel tells the newspaper, "We won the title because we had a great player in Scott Skiles and one of the best coaches in the country in Jack Edison. But also, because this team was a family with a capital F. There were a lot of different personalities on this team, but we all came together and formed a real tight bond that helped carry us in the tournament."

Earlier this week, Phil Wendel and his DePauw basketball teammate Tim Vieke '86 were named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame's 2007 men's Silver Anniversary Team.  Learn more in this previous article.

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