Longtime youth girls basketball coach Billy Bassett died unexpectedly in October. Earlier this week, on what would have been his 50th birthday, the Billy Bassett Scholarship Fund was launched, honoring his memory by continuing his work in supporting the dreams of aspiring girls basketball players in the community.
Nicole Bassett, Billy’s wife, and Gabby, their daughter, joined The Scorers Table podcast Thursday to reflect Billy’s legacy and share more about the scholarship.
“Billy’s friends, his buddies, his basketball community wanted to do something for him, specifically,” Nicole said. “They know how passionate he was for the basketball community and about these young ladies, and I think that really encouraged them to set up this fund. The fund is meant for high school basketball players who want to play in college and maybe need a little financial help. … That’s what this is for. We’re really proud.”
Described as “the ultimate girl dad,” Billy was an avid supporter of his daughters’ sports teams and coached a number of area basketball players. All three of his daughters are volleyball players: Audrey, the oldest, is a junior defensive specialist and outside hitter for Westfield, and Caroline, the youngest, recently quit soccer to focus on volleyball. Gabby, an eighth grader, played basketball for her dad.
Billy loved coaching basketball for Gabby, his obituary read, but also for all the girls at Westfield, IGB, PAC Flight North, Always 100 and West Virginia Thunder. “Besides his own children, they were his pride and joy.”
“He was intense and he would yell at them,” Nicole said of her husband, “but he would also be the coach in the background doing TikToks with the girls. He just had a knack for pushing them to their potential, and being a great leader and inspiration for them off the court, as well.”
For more information and to donate, visit BillyBassettScholarshipFund.com.
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Watch Episode 46 of The Scorers Table with Nicole Bassett and Alexandria’s Mickey and Jacklynn Hosier here.
The Scorers Table is a podcast covering all things Indiana girls high school basketball, hosted by IndyStar high school sports Insider Brian Haenchen, 2010 Indiana Miss Basketball and former Purdue standout Courtney (Moses) Delks and longtime coach Danny Riego. Find past episodes and subscribe to the channel at YouTube.com/@IndyStarHank.
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.