Landon Turner: what could have been

In the last game that he ever played, former Indiana star junior forward Landon Turner helped the Hoosiers beat North Carolina to win the national title...that happened in April 1981...four months later, Turner was paralyzed from the chest down after being involved in a one-car accident...

Turner was highly recruited out of Indianapolis and chose to play at Indiana because of head coach Bob Knight...during his freshman year, the Hoosiers won the NIT...two years later they took the national title...

But the championship year was a rocky road for Turner who often found himself in Knight's "doghouse"...late in the season, everything finally clicked for Turner as he began hustling and understanding what Knight demanded from the team...once inserted back into the starting lineup, the Hoosiers never lost another game that season...

Turner was named MVP in the semi-final win over LSU, in which he was the leading scorer and second in rebounds...he was named to the All-Tournament Team

Since his accident, Turner completed his degree at Indiana...Turner is now a motivational speaker...he does not let his confinement to a wheelchair deter him from anything...

In a 2006 article on ESPN.com, Turner is featured during hunting season in which he annually gets a gobbler...Landon Turner - The hunter