Best Small School Gyms in Indiana
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In this series, I am picking the best gyms in the state. The criteria I used for this ranking was: gyms I thought had the best atmosphere, history, concessions, and which gyms were most aesthetically pleasing. This isn’t based off of one game, but a yearlong atmosphere through the season.
In other words, these are the top 10 small school gyms that you must see a game in this year. With 400+ gyms in the state, there will be gyms I missed and this isn’t a “correct” list, but we can all agree that Indiana high school gyms are the best in the country. Without further ado, here are the top 10 gyms in 1A and 2A.
Barr-Reeve
A history of great basketball really helps a team find its way onto the list. Barr-Reeve is in the heart of southern Indiana and their gym shows it. A two-tiered gym where the student section is on the bottom set of bleachers and the general crowd is looped around the top. With a capacity of 1800, you can bet that this gym will be full every game. A game here is a must see every year.
Tipton
Tipton has a history of good basketball and with a small feel of a gym like this it has to make the list. The popcorn is some of the best in the state and the band plays on the end of the court up on the stage. That’s an aspect that we don’t really see anymore in gyms. The ceiling is really low which provides some ruckus crowds and some loud games for the biggest gym on this list.
Rockville
This gym has long been one of my favorites. A classic gym with brick walls and a wall by the baseline that gives players no more than five feet of room, this gym can get loud. It is the last year before the consolidation that it will be hosting games, so Rockville faithful will be packing the “Rock-A-Dome” every night. A history of basketball success at this small country school brings the community out every night.
Oak Hill
Oak Hill is a bit of a sunken gym and looks more like a modern gym but if you are in the gym you will notice the only thing modern are the bleachers. Oak Hill is on this list mainly because of the atmosphere aspect because the student section is one of the best in the state and they pack the gym every night. Oak Hill loves its basketball and you can feel that when you step in the gym.
Loogootee
Loogootee has that old feel of a gym that you just don’t get with any of the others on this list. The seating is below the concourse and is a bowl that surrounds the court. The players enter through a tunnel underneath the bleachers and gives a feel of a classic gym. Loogootee loves their basketball and that is evident every night there is a game.
Eastern Greene
For such a small school, this gym is big time. Looks and feels like a huge gym with a divided set of bleachers and a walkway all the way around the gym. A great host of tournament play games, you can expect to see the gym at capacity in the postseason. The bleachers seem like they go up to the ceiling forever and the acoustics are perfect to see a game in.
Shawe Memorial
Shawe is one of the smallest gyms in the state and it breathes old school. Only 826 people can fit in the gym and when it is packed, it is loud. The fans are so close to the action you can almost touch the players. The ceiling is curved down toward the bleachers and the beams are wooden which shows how old school is really is. A very plain gym that is all about basketball and that is evident as you step inside.
Hauser
One of the most confusing gyms in the state will take you by surprise when you enter it, but once you sit down and glance around you can start to appreciate its beauty. With sets of bleachers on the floor with suspended seats over them, it is one of the more unique gym experiences in the state. There isn’t a bad spot in the gym and here you can have multiple different vantage points from everywhere in the gym.
West Washington
West Washington’s gym really reminds me of Indian Creek’s gym and Loogootee’s in the way that all of the seating is below the entrance. The colors in the gym really pop out at you and the teams enter down through the stands which makes the experience that much better. West Washington has a great student section which makes it a atmosphere like no other.
Honorable Mention – Hoosier Gym
What’s a list of best small school gyms without the most known high school basketball gym in the country? No longer in regular use, the Hoosier Gym features shootouts every year and opens its doors every day for tours. Dozens of teams get to play in this historic gym every year and it is always a treat. It doesn’t make the top ten list because it currently isn’t in use by a team, but if there is a gym in Indiana that you must visit, it’s this one.