To the Editor:
I want to congratulate the Eastern Hancock High School on a great basketball season. I was impressed with the Daily Reporter’s March 16th article about the O’Neal Legacy in basketball. But, I’d like to add a bit more to complete the story of Landon’s great-grandpa, “Tink” O’Neal, who started this legacy.
Few people remember what an outstanding team Eden High School had in the 1940’s, and Tink O’Neal was a major part of it. I am currently 94 years old, and I played basketball at McCordsville during this time period. I have many fond memories of those days.
Tink O’Neal, Bob Martin, Keith Spegal, Jim Fair and Tom Brooks were 7th graders in 1940. At that time, I was an 8th grader at McCordsville. We beat Eden in our first junior high game that year. Keith Snider joined the Eden team one year later.
That was the only scheduled game this group of boys from Eden lost throughout their junior high and high school seasons. During that time, they also won two county tourneys and two sectionals; and with a little luck, probably could have won the state had they not been stopped by Broad Ripple and Anderson.
In 1945, they were beaten in the regional game by Broad Ripple High School. Broad Ripple then went on to the final game of the state tournament where they were beaten by Evansville Bosse. And, in 1946, they were beaten by Anderson High School in the regional. Anderson then went on to win the 1946 state tournament.
Tink was recruited by Tony Hinkle at Butler, although freshmen weren’t allowed to actually play on the team back then. They were, however, allowed to practice with the team.
Tink told me that at practice one day, Coach Hinkle challenged him to a game of 21. In the game, a player would shoot a long shot worth 2 points and a short shot worth 1 point. The players would continue to shoot until he missed. Then the other player would shoot until he missed. The first one to 21 wins the game. Hinkle threw the ball to Tink who proceeded to make 7 longs and 7 shorts, without missing. He threw the ball to Hinkle and said, “game is over.”
Coach Hinkle later expressed that Tink was the most natural athlete he had ever coached. But, after one year at Butler, Tink got married and returned to farming.
Besides being a great ball player, he was a wonderful friend and person. The O’Neal family can be very proud of the legacy he has passed on to them.
Ray Paxton
Greenfield
