John Laskowski is a basketball player from South Bend, Indiana that played for Indiana University and spent two seasons in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. Laskowski was part of the first recruiting class for Hoosier head coach Bob Knight and he was famously known as the “Super Sub” because of his ability to come off of the bench and immediately impact the game. After his illustrious college career at Indiana University, Laskowski would go on to play in the NBA, write a book about his time at IU, and become a college basketball broadcaster.
- Name: John Laskowski
- Nickname: “Super Sub,” “Laz”
- Position: Shooting Guard
- Age: 71 years old
- Birthday: June 7, 1953
- Hometown: South Bend, Indiana
- High School: St. Joseph’s High School (South Bend, Indiana)
- Height: 6’6″ (1.98 meters)
- Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
- Seasons: 4 (1971-1972, 1972-1973, 1973-1974, 1974-1975, Played in only 3 seasons)
- Jersey: #31 / #20
- NBA Draft: 1975 / Round 3/Pick #32 (Chicago Bulls)
- ABA Draft: 1975 / Round 4 (Kentucky Colonels)
- Professional Career: Chicago Bulls (1975-1977)
- Post-Playing Career: Color Commentator and Play-By-Play Broadcaster for the Big Ten Network; owner of Culver’s in Bloomington, Indiana
- Book(s): Tales from the Hoosier Locker Room, 2003
Player Accolades and Awards
- Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (Inducted: 1999)
John Laskowski High School Career
Laskowski had a very successful high school career at St. Joseph’s High School in South Bend. During his 1970-71 senior season, he averaged 28.9 points per game with a high of 49. His high school coach was future Bob Knight assistant coach Bob Donewald.
St. Joseph’s went all the way to the South Bend Sectional Championship his senior year before eventually losing. Laskowski was high school teammates with fellow future Hoosier basketball player, Tom Abernethy.
John Laskowski would later be recruited by head coach Bob Knight at Indiana University. Bob Knight had just taken over the Indiana University basketball program. After committing to the Hoosiers, John Laskowski and fellow freshman teammate Steve Green were the two most heralded players of Bob Knight’s first recruiting class.
John Laskowski’s Seasons with the Hoosiers
17–8 (9–5 Big Ten)
NIT First Round
22-6 (11-3 Big Ten)
🏅 NCAA Final Four
23-5 (12-2 Big Ten)
🏆 CCA Tournament Champions
31-1 (18-0 Big Ten)
🏅 NCAA Elite Eight
John Laskowski’s Indiana University Career Statistics
| Season | G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | TOV | PF | PTS | SOS | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-73 | 28 | 22.3 | 3.9 | 7.9 | 0.491 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 0.807 | 4.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 10.3 | 8.42 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| 1973-74 | 28 | 26.1 | 5 | 9.8 | 0.507 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 0.774 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 12.5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| 1974-75 | 28 | 24 | 3.7 | 7.6 | 0.486 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 0.829 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 9.5 | 6.53 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Career | 84 | 24.1 | 4.2 | 8.4 | 0.496 | 2.4 | 3 | 0.801 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 10.8 | 6.99 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
John Laskowski’s Indiana University Career
Laskowski was infamously known as IU’s “Super Sub.” While he did not started, he always found a way to impact the game coming off of the bench and, thereby, ingratiated himself in the hearts of Hoosier fans. As a sixth man, he came off the bench and scored 20 points or more on six occasions and scored in double digits 40 times.
He first saw playing time during the 1972-73 season, where he averaged 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Averaging a little over 22 minutes per game, Laskowski was the team’s 4th leading scorer and helped lead Indiana to the Final Four where they would eventually fall to UCLA in the National Semi-Final. Among his teammates that season was fellow South Bend native and his former high school teammate, Tom Abernethy.
The next season Laskowski played an even larger role, resulting in the best statistical season of his college career. With the graduation of major scoring threats Steve Downing and John Ritter (who averaged 35 points per game combined), Laskowski was able to shoulder more responsibility. His playing time increased to 26.1 minutes per game and his production also improved. During the 1973-74 season, he averaged 12.5 points (tied for 2nd on the team with Scott May), 3.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He shot 50.7% from the field and was tied with Quinn Buckner for taking the 3rd most shot attempts on the team.
Despite losing their two top scorers from the previous season, Indiana still played well. With a talented roster, Indiana continued its run of successful seasons finishing 23-8. Michigan was also very good that year and each team finished 12-2 in conference play, tying for first place in the Big Ten. Because of the then rule that only conference champions could appear in the NCAA Tournament, Indiana and Michigan had to square off for a 3rd time with the winner receiving the NCAA Tournament invite.
Michigan ended up winning, leaving IU with the consolation prize of a Collegiate Commissioners Association Tournament (CCAT) appearance. This would be IU’s first and only appearance in the CCAT, and the Hoosiers made the most of it, taking the championship trophy back to Bloomington.
