Crawfordsville, Sept. 11 (AP) - A local basketball star who landed a starring role in the 1986 movie "Hoosiers" was found dead outside his home early Wednesday.
Montgomery County Sheriff Dennis Rice said 39-year-old Kent Pooled committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree.
Friends said Poole had been depressed in recent months over his impending divorce.
Poole became a local celebrity as a member of the 1982 Western Boone basketball team that played against Gary Roosevelt High School in state semifinals. Roosevelt beat them 38-36.
Poole was chosen for the role of basketball player Merle Webb in "Hoosier." The movie, which was filmed in Indiana, was loosely based on the 1954 Milan team that won the state basketball championship.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press)
