A player on the opposing bench may look familiar Wednesday night as Indiana celebrates its 125th season in Bloomington.

The game will be a homecoming of sorts for 6-foot-2 SIU Edwardsville forward Kyle Thomas. He is the son of the late 1987 IU national champion Daryl Thomas.

Kyle transferred to SIUE in the offseason. Like his father, he wears number 24. He is struggling with an injury and it is not clear whether he will play tonight. Kyle averaged 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in 16 games at Bradley in 2023-24.

TDH met Kyle in 2021 when he was in high school. He told us that his father and IU coach Mike Woodson were good friends.

Wednesday evening would have been special for Daryl, who passed away in 2018.

Daryl Thomas, an All-Big Ten pick as a junior and senior, scored 20 points in the Hoosiers' NCAA title win over Syracuse and delivered the game-winning assist to Keith Smart, who hit a jumper to give IU the 74-73 victory.

“Since the 1987 championship game, I have always considered it the single greatest play I ever made as a kid: giving up the ball and creating the screen that cleared the man for the shot that won a national championship,” he said IU coach Bob Knight said in 2018 when Daryl passed away.

“That was Daryl – completely selfless.”

Daryl averaged 15.7 points and 5.7 rebounds as a senior and 14.5 points and 4.7 rebounds as a junior. Thomas and his 1987 teammates returned to Assembly Hall in December 2011 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their national championship.

Kyle grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and was scheduled to play for Daryl at Montini HS before he passed away.

Thomas isn't the only Cougar with ties to Indiana. They are led by a former IU basketball staff member.

SIUE head coach Brian Barone was the Hoosiers' head of basketball operations when he worked under former IU head coach Tom Crean. Barone followed Crean from Marquette and spent two seasons (2008-09 and 2009-10) in Bloomington.

No. 17 Indiana and SIUE arrive in Bloomington (BTN) at 8 p.m. ET.

For complete coverage of IU basketball, click HERE.

The Daily Hoosier – “Where Indiana fans gather when they’re not at the meeting.”

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