The Pete Bell Story

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[SIZE="4"]Waldron, Indiana Summer of 1972[/SIZE]

Bad news spreads fast in a small town. News of little Petey Bell's injury spread like wildfire. Just days away from starting the eighth grade
Petey injured his back working on the Bell Family Farm and as rumor has it his basketball career is all but over. Considered a basketball prodigy,
the 14 year old was due to start for the Waldron varsity as an eighth grader during the '72 season. By word of mouth Bell's basketball dominance
and intelligence spread over southern Indiana to the point that that his seventh grade games were standing room only last season drawing bigger
crowds than the varsity team themselves.


In an unprecedented move Indiana coach Bobby Knight extended a scholorship offer to a then 13 year old Bell after Knight had traveled from
Bloomington to watch one of his seventh grade games last season. "This kid is unbelievable," Knight said after the game. "He could run my team
right now if the NCAA would let him."


Newly appointed Kentucky Head Coach Joe Hall visited the tiny Waldron gym as a member of Adolph Rupp's staff in the fall of 1971. At the time Hall
was stunned at what he saw. "I've never seen a 13 year old that good," Hall told a Shelbyville, Indiana newspaper at the time. "If it were my team I'd
offer him a full ride right now but I'll have to go back to Lexington and see if I can get Coach Rupp to give him a look."

Although never confirmed, there were rumors that UCLA coach and Martinsville, Indiana native John Wooden had been seen at the Bell Family Farm
earlier in the summer.

When news of the injury reached coach Knight he was visibly upset. "Pete Bell would have been an All American at Indiana. By far the smartest basketball
player I have ever seen play."

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[SIZE="4"]IUPUI Moves Up, Names Pete Bell Youngest Coach in NCAA[/SIZE]

Metros no more. Just days after Ervin "Magic" Johnson lead Michigan State to the national championship over
Larry Bird's Sycamores, IUPUI has announced it will move up from Division II and compete at the highest level
of college basketball. In a surprising move IUPUI has named 22 year old Pete Bell as the team's head coach.


Bell, a former teenage basketball prodigy whose career was cut short by injury literally before it started, had been
Mel Garland's top assistant this past season while finishing his senior year at the university. He had served as a
student assistant from '76~'78 under then head coach Kirby Overman. IUPUI Chancellor Glenn W. Irwin, JR MD
said "Pete is an obvious choice to lead this team into a new and exciting chapter of basketball. He knows our
players and he can relate to the high school kids of today."

Bell was once considered a can't miss division one prospect who was offered a scholorship to pay at Indiana for
Bobby Knight at the age of 13. As a 14 year old he was relegate to the sidelines with a back injury suffered
while working on the family farm. With Coach Knight still willing to honor his scholorship he chose to attend
IUPUI only after Coach Overman offered him a position on the Metros staff.

"My love for basketball has never diminished, even after the injury," Bell stated at the news conference.
"With the introduction of the three point line to college basketball and the 68 team expanded NCAA Tournament
next season, this is an exciting time to be an NCAA basketball coach and I am blessed to get this opportunity."

With the move to Division I IUPUI also announced a name change going from the Metros to the Jaguars.
They also will compete in the newly formed Summit League.