WHERE ARE THEY NOW? | BO CUCUZ

The 1984 IHSAA boys state basketball tournament was a magical experience for Bo Cucuz and his Lake Central teammates.

Coach Jim Hammel's Indians captured sectional, regional and semistate crowns, not to mention the hearts and imaginations of fans in the Calumet Region who were hooked on Hoosier Hysteria.

While Lake Central didn't have the opportunity to play for the state title at Market Square Arena -- it was knocked out of the tournament by Vincennes -- it left an imprint on Hoosier Hysteria and created enough memories to last a lifetime.

"It was really one of the most amazing experiences of my life, but I still have regrets about it," Cucuz said. "Our loss in the opening round at the state tournament still haunts me, because nothing seemed to go right that day."

Cucuz said he remembers shots that wouldn't drop. He noted when Lake Central appeared to be building momentum, something seemed to happen to curtail it.

The 1984 L.C. and 1988 Northwestern University grad, said the team had one of its worst shooting days from the floor and the foul line and the dream of winning a state championship wasn't realized.

But the camaraderie and chemistry of the players in combination with the guidance of Hammel and assistant coaches Joe Andrews and Wayne Svetanoff, are things that have been etched in Cucuz's memory for nearly 24 years.

"My fondest memories are of the way the entire team jelled," he said. "The right personalities coming together at the right time. We were like a band of 15 brothers. There was nothing we wouldn't have done for each other. We came up with the motto 'Refuse to Lose.' There was just a euphoric feeling the entire year."

Cucuz, along with teammate Milan Petrovic, went on to play basketball at Northwestern.

After graduating from Northwestern in 1988, Cucuz ventured out into the business world as a salesman. Eventually, he had an opportunity to work for the Ford Motor Company.

Cucuz went through the company's management training program. In the past 14 years, he's moved up in the ranks. He's spent the past five years as the Senior Operations Manager in both Stamping and Assembly Operations at the Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights.

"I enjoy my job because the business I'm in is unlike any other business in the world," Cucuz said. "It's complex, dynamic and unforgiving."

While Cucuz's job might be unforgiving at times, his take on Indiana's class basketball system is unmistakable.

He feels strongly Indiana should return to what he calls the "One Crown Tournament."

"No matter what anybody says, there's no such thing as Hoosier Hysteria anymore," Cucuz said. "It doesn't exist. For everyone who played for one crown, they understand the feeling and they understand the passion and the fanaticism behind it, because they experienced it and they lived it. For those who haven't experienced it, they don't know.

"Many fans in the state miss the days when basketball players were household names and everyone recognized the state's best players. I feel like the heroes in Indiana basketball are gone. I may be wrong, but that's how I feel. I think it's become more about the bottom line than the game."