Rosey's Roundup

Twice a year, my telephone rings. "Bill," the voice on the other end says. "It's Rosey. We're getting together at Stookey's." That's "Rosey" as in Jim Rosenstihl, the Indiana Hall of Fame basketball coach who garnered most of his 549 victories with the Lebanon Tigers. The invitation is for lunch at Stookey's, a pleasant mom & pop restaurant on Main Street in Thorntown, Ind. The gathering is informally known as Rosey's Roundup. At Rosey's urging, over the past 10 years or so many of the men synonymous with Indiana basketball travel to Stookey's - once in the fall, once in the spring - for some meat and gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetable, salad and dessert. But the main course is fellowship, plain and simple. And it's well worth the trip. Men who coached against each other, the referees they argued with, athletic directors who orchestrated the games and even an old media guy or two assemble. It started out as a gathering of 15 or 20, but word of mouth, and Rosenstihl's diligence in contacting everyone, has caused it to grow, and grow, and grow. This past September, 150 jammed Stookey's dining room. It's a who's-who of Indiana high school athletics, with the focus on Central Indiana but not entirely. Someone once scanned the crowd and observed, "there must be about 10,000 wins in this room." At least. It's just another way for Rosenstihl, one of the finest coaches in Indiana high school basketball history, to keep in touch with his peers. "It gives the guys a chance to visit," says Rosey. Rosenstihl is now 81, and confined to a wheelchair. He lives in Lebanon with his daughter, Elizabeth. But with her good help, and the aid of others, Rosenstihl is still out and about quite a bit. Especially in basketball season. It's rare for him to miss a Lebanon home game. Then again, he feels something of an obligation. The Lebanon gymnasium now bears the name "James Rosenstihl Gymnasium." It was dedicated in his honor last February. "Oh yeah, that means a lot," he says. "I really appreciate that." But not as much as his former players appreciate the influence Rosenstihl had on them, not just as basketball players, but as young men. Rosenstihl's teams at Center Grove, Zionsville, Bluffton and Lebanon, regardless of their skill levels, always were well prepared and well coached. And they'd compete like crazy. Of course, one of those players just happened to be the first high school player to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as well as - in the opinions of many - the finest shooter basketball has ever seen. That would be The Rocket, Rick Mount, who still lives in Lebanon and who calls on his old coach once or twice a week. "Oh, there have been other guys who could shoot just as well as Rick ... if no one was guarding them," Rosenstihl says. "But he was at his best when someone was in his face." Rosenstihl was quite the shooter himself as a 1,000-point scorer during his high school career at Zionsville. He then went on to play for the legendary Tony Hinkle at Butler. Shortly thereafter, a great coaching career was born. Rosenstihl's 1975 Lebanon team - led by the Walker brothers, Steve and Brian - reached the state finals. He also coached seven regional and 21 sectional champions. Quite a career. Quite a man. See you at Stookey's, coach.