Some elements of the film do match closely with those of Milan's real story. Like the movie's fictional "Hickory High School", Milan was a very small high school in a rural, southern Indiana town. Both schools had undersized teams. Both Hickory and Milan won the state finals by two points: Hickory won 42–40, and Milan won 32–30. The final seconds of the
Hoosiers state final hold fairly closely to the details of Milan's 1954 final; the final shot in the movie was taken from virtually the same spot on the floor as
Bobby Plump's actual game-winner. The movie's final game was shot in the same building that hosted the 1954 Indiana final,
Butler University's
Hinkle Fieldhouse (called Butler Fieldhouse in 1954) in
Indianapolis.
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