Medlock-Adams to sign new IU book on Dec. 22 at Assembly Hall

BEDFORD — Michelle Medlock Adams has authored/co-authored 101 books and sold more than four million copies during a writing career that started as a sportswriter at the Bedford Times-Mail shortly after she graduated from Indiana University in 1991.

The Bedford North Lawrence High School grad and still Bedford resident is renowned for her devotional and inspirational writings about religion, particularly for children and women, and has also penned books focusing on fitness, cooking, celebrity profiles and inner and outer beauty.

There is one subject, however, that rises above all else in terms of passion, and that is Indiana men's basketball.

Ms. Michelle is bubblier than a rainy-season stream on a normal basis, but talking about IU hoops transforms her into a Niagara Falls of enthusiastic words.

Signing copies at Assembly Hall

Now Medlock Adams has gotten to complete her passion project with a book she has co-authored with Ohio native Del Duduit (pronounced Didway) called "Heart Of A Hoosier, A Year Of Inspiration From IU Men's Basketball," which was published by IU Press and released on July 21.

The second part of this dream deal is that on Wednesday, Dec. 22 she is going to get to sit inside Assembly Hall and sign purchased copies of "Heart Of A Hoosier."

"This is just an incredible thing, like a dream come true, for me to be able to go inside Assembly Hall and sign books that I've written about IU men's basketball," she said with unbridled glee. "My parents (the late Walter and Marion Medlock) have to be looking down from heaven with pride and joy knowing I'll be there signing.

"I honestly can hardly believe it, and I can't wait for that night."

The book signing will take place outside the Assembly Hall Varsity Room store from 5:30 to 7 p.m. prior to IU's game against Northern Kentucky, and will resume at halftime if all copies are not sold. The book is $18, and is intended to be an inspirational, motivational look at the men's program, with an emphasis on the years (1987-91) that Medlock Adams attended IU.

It was a dominant stretch with the Hoosiers winning the 1987 national championship under legendary coach Bob Knight.

Fortuitous trip to New York

"It's a little funny how it all developed, but I was attending the BookExpo of America, the mecca of publishing, in New York in 2018 and was signing another book I'd written, and I was walking around with my agent, Cyle Young, when I saw the IU Press booth," Medlock Adams recalled. "I ran over and asked him to take my picture by the big IU sign, and he played football for Michigan so he was giving me a hard time.

"We were going back and forth, and the main editor at IU Press at the time, Ashley Runyon, came over and asked me if I was an IU grad, and of course I screamed, 'I absolutely am and I'm very proud of it.'

"So that's how we started talking and I told her where I was from and about some of my other books, and she said I should, being from southern Indiana, write something about the persimmon and I ended up doing "Perfect Persimmon." I'm not a very good cook, but I can whip up a mean persimmon pudding.

"Anyway, I agreed on that one and pitched the book about IU men's basketball, and she agreed on that one, and here we are. I'm so happy about it."

The promotional paragraphs on the sleeve sum up the purpose of the book quite well. Here's how it reads: "

Five NCAA Championships, 22 Big Ten Conference Championships—this is the candy-striped legacy of the Indiana University men's basketball team. In its 120-year history, Indiana basketball has become a giant in college basketball and earned a legion of fans.

"In Heart of a Hoosier: A Year of Inspiration from IU Men's Basketball, authors Del Duduit and Michelle Medlock Adams show readers how the famous moments and personalities of the Indiana Hoosiers can inspire them to reach for success, overcome adversity, be a great team member, and more. Readers will be inspired by a year's worth of stories featuring fierce rivalries with Purdue and Kentucky and legendary players and coaches such as Steve Alford, Isiah Thomas, Calbert Cheaney, George McGinnis, Branch McCracken, and Bobby Knight.

"Heart of a Hoosier will entertain and motivate every fan who bleeds Cream & Crimson. Relive the triumphs, groan at the losses, and revel in great traditions!"

Focus on IU integrity

Medlock-Adams focused on the ethics and uprightness that IU abided by under Knight.

"I knew with it being IU Press at a state university that it couldn't be religiously devotional like a lot of my work, but there are some of the same principles," she said. "It touches a lot upon the integrity and honesty that surrounds the IU basketball program, and the legacy of goodness that was there under Bobby Knight.

"I know you can like him or not, and I love coach, so it has some of the same sentiment and inspiration of my other books and is meant to be a very encouraging book with a lot of great IU basketball stories.

"I think older Hoosier fans will love the iconic memories from the great players, and new Hoosier fans will want to go back and research them and learn more about them."

Medlock Adams was approached by Duduit to co-author a book, and with his background covering the Cincinnati Bengals and other sports, he was an ideal partner for Heart of a Hoosier.

"Del is an Ohio State fan, for which I have to forgive him daily, but he contacted me about doing a book together," she said. "I had this IU book idea, but when I was a sports writer there at the Times-Mail I did features and human interest, and not actual game coverage.

"I was kind of nervous about that, so my thought was to let him do the game-type stuff for the book and I would do the other types of stories. I really think it has worked out great.

"My brother, Rob, is 15 years older me and he's not a big reader like I am, but even he read this one and told me it was really good. I think it's the first time he's been proud of me."

Others agree. The book earned a First Place at the 2021 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the Other Nonfiction Category, and a Finalist in the 2021 American BookFest Best Books Awards, Sports Category.

Medlock Adams and Duduit also earned a ringing endorsement from a very important audience, the IU players. Kent Benson, the 1973 Indiana Mr. Basketball and the starting All-American center on IU's undefeated, national champion 1976 team, gave Heart of a Hoosier a glowing recommendation.

“Award-winning authors Michelle Medlock Adams and Del Duduit really capture the essence of IU Basketball in their book, Heart of a Hoosier," Benson said. "This book offers 52 encouraging inspirations, highlighting great Indiana Basketball moments and the hallowed traditions that make IU Basketball so special.

"Even if you’re a diehard fan, or even a former player, you’re sure to learn a few fun facts about the candy-striped warmups, the IU Fight Song, and many of the players you’ve cheered for over the years. I’m honored to be included in this book, and I truly believe it will be the boost every Hoosiers fan needs to keep moving in the right direction.”

Medlock Adams a major IU fan

Medlock Adams is a serious IU hoops fan and is also happy with the way the program is being steered.

"I really think we're on a good path now," she said. "There were a few years there that were a little rough, but I think it's heading in the right direction. That Wisconsin game is going to hurt for a little while, but I love coach (Mike) Woodson and I believe he's going to get the job done."

Medlock Adams' deeply-held love of IU men's basketball will pour forth on the pages for readers. It was instilled when she was a young girl, and will never leave.

"I love my grandchildren as much as anything in the world, but I've told them that if it's IU game night you're just going to have to come back," she said with a hearty laugh. "They know how it is on game day.

"We always had season tickets when I was little and daddy took us to a lot of games. When daddy and mommy went to heaven my sister and brother and I didn't argue over anything that was left to us, just split it up evenly and didn't worry about much.

"But the one thing we vied over was daddy's collection of VCR game tapes of all the IU men's basketball games. We negotiated back and forth some on that, and Rob has custody of those now. He's supposed to make us DVD copies."

If you're an IU basketball fan, make plans to attend the game on Dec. 22. Tickets should be plentiful for the non-conference clash. If you're also a fan of feeling happy, set aside a few minutes to go meet with Medlock Adams and have her sign your book. There will be a Niagara Falls of enthusiasm that night.

"I can't describe how much I'm looking forward to it," she gushed. "Stephen Williams, a publisher and marketing manager at IU Press set this up and made it happen, and, I mean, I'm going to be sitting in Assembly Hall signing my books. It's almost too good to be true.

"It's going to be like heaven on earth for me."

Contact Times-Mail Sports Writer Jeff Bartlett at jeffb@tmnews.com, or on Twitter @jeffbtmnews.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Mail: Medlock-Adams co-authors inspirational book about IU men's basketball