At the conclusion of the 1976-77 season, members of Franklin College men’s basketball team voted Bruce Hensley its Most Valuable Player despite the fact that the senior forward made two starts the entire season.
Even then, Hensley enjoyed practices and used the time to make himself and those around him better.
He continues the tradition today.
Monday was the official start to Hensley’s 28th season as boys basketball coach at Greenwood Community High School, a career that to date has produced 253 victories and sectional championships in 1991 and 2002.
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Greenwood’s most recent winning season came in 2005-06, when the Woodmen finished 17-5.
However, the current group of Woodmen could be poised for a winter of memorable moments. The 2015-16 squad finished 12-12 with four sophomores in the starting lineup.
“With where we went last year from the beginning of the season to the end, we were a very young team,” said Hensley. “I think anybody that would be in our position would be excited and looking forward to the season.”
Now juniors, frontliners Eric Moenkhaus (13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds per game) and Jeffrey Reynolds (11.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.2 blocks) team with the backcourt tandem of Braydon Kincaid (12.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.0 assists, 1.2 steals) and Max Raker (9.2 ppg, 2.5 apg) to form a seasoned nucleus.
Greenwood opens its season Nov. 25 at New Castle, then plays its home opener the following night against Greenwood Christian Academy.
Hensley hopes the Woodmen get off to a better start than last season. To their credit, they rebounded from a 4-7 start to achieve a .500 record, even knocking off host Martinsville 63-60 in overtime in the opening round of Sectional 13 in Class 4A.
Defeating the Artesians snapped the program’s 13-game postseason losing streak dating back to the title contest of the 2003 sectional.
At 61, Hensley’s passion for teaching, be it in the classroom or on the basketball court, has not diminished.
“That’s why I’m still doing it. I enjoy the teaching aspect,” Hensley said. “I’ve been very fortunate here to have good kids every year, and to have good parents. It’s really been an enjoyable situation.”
Hensley’s basketball coaching career began as the junior varsity coach at Decatur Central from 1977-84. After coming to Greenwood, his alma mater, he served three seasons as assistant freshmen coach before moving up to be Gary Vandergriff’s varsity assistant for two years.
Vandergriff retired from coaching boys basketball following the 1988-89 season, and it’s been Hensley in charge ever since.
Through it all, Hensley continues to impart what he learned from those who mentored him. Among them are Tom Cummings, his coach at Greenwood as a junior and senior; and Ed Thompson, his coach at Franklin College.
Uniform designs eventually go out of style; basketball fundamentals never do.
“Kids today are different today just in terms of how far we’ve come as a society. There are so many other things that can distract them now as opposed to 28 years ago,” Hensley said. “I’ve told a lot of people it’s much tougher being a teenager now that when I was growing up.
“As a coach, you definitely have to change and adjust the way you coach. You’re still going to do things you believe in, but maybe the manner in which you do them is maybe a little bit different.”
A favorite saying of Hensley’s is, “Change doesn’t mean progress, but there is no progress without change.”
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Name: Bruce Hensley
Age: 61
Family: Wife, Marcene; daughter, Malorie, 30; sons, Derek, 28, and Devon, 19; grandson, Anderson Jones, 6 months
Born: Beech Grove
High school: Greenwood (1973)
College: Franklin College (1977)
Major: Math
Favorite TV show: “Seinfeld”
Favorite foods: Italian and Mexican
Favorite movie: “Hoosiers”
Favorite athlete: Larry Bird
Favorite team: St. Louis Cardinals
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