A steal by Brian Glasgow. Outlet to Rick Hall, who dribbles behind the back before firing a crosscourt pass to Joel Cotton, who lifts an alley-oop toward the basket where Sean Kline rises above the rim, grabs the ball and slams it through the hoop with rim-rattling authority.

North Arena erupts.

The play lasts only a few seconds, but it became an indelible image in Huntington North’s memorable 1999 season and a seminal moment in Kline’s ascent to become one of the greatest basketball players ever to wear a Viking uniform.

Kline was a sophomore then, but already one of the state’s brightest stars. Standing 6-foot-8 with the skills of a guard and the finishing ability of a dominant post player, he averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds while leading the Vikings to only the second regional championship in school history.

Basketball was part of Kline's life from the beginning. His father, John, played high school basketball and his mother, Sarah, was a three-sport athlete at Huntington North. Growing up with two brothers added another level of competition.

His talent was obvious before high school. Playing for Indianapolis' Municipal Gardens AAU program, Kline helped win a pair of 14-under national championships while competing against many players who would eventually reach the NBA.

Despite the growing expectations surrounding his arrival at Huntington North, when practice opened before his freshman season, Kline reported with the other freshmen to the upstairs court at North Arena.

“I hadn't proven anything,” he recalls. “You’re not owed anything. You’ve got to earn it.”

Coach Jack Gabor called him downstairs to join the varsity.

Kline came off the bench early in his freshman season but scored 13 points in his varsity debut and 24 points in his fourth game. By January he had earned a starting spot and closed the season with a 27-point outburst against Alexandria.

College coaches took notice. Bob Knight, Gene Keady, Tom Izzo, Matt Doherty and others regularly appeared at North Arena. Doherty became so intent on recruiting Kline that he brought his Notre Dame basketball team to the Huntington North gym for a practice. Apparently, it didn’t seem to be an NCAA recruiting violation.

But one moment became life-changing.

During Kline’s freshman year, Knight invited the 15-year-old to the Indiana-Purdue game at Assembly Hall. In the Hoosier locker room after the game, Knight grabbed him by the back of the collar and told Kline he wanted him to play for him at Indiana. Kline’s childhood dream was suddenly within his reach.

His sophomore season was one of the finest in school history.

Kline broke Huntington North's single-season records with 579 points and 277 rebounds. He scored a career-high 36 points against Fort Wayne South Side, then delivered 24 points and 22 rebounds in the sectional championship victory over Fort Wayne Wayne. Against West Lafayette Harrison, he put up 28 points and 15 rebounds to send the Vikings to the elusive regional crown.

As a junior, Kline averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds and earned Indiana Junior All-Star honors. Following the season, he committed to Knight and Indiana. Kline’s mother publicly questioned whether Notre Dame might have been the better choice, but years later when he became a parent himself, Kline came to understand her concerns not as criticism, but as a mother simply wanting what was best for her son.

And as it turned out, Kline would never play for Knight, who was fired that September. Before stepping on campus, Kline faced a difficult decision. He honored his commitment to Indiana, becoming the final player recruited to the school by Knight.

Kline finished his Huntington North career with school records of 1,790 points and 811 rebounds. He was named first-team All-State, finished third in the Mr. Basketball voting, and was selected for the Indiana All-Star team. He was invited to the prestigious Nike Basketball Camp for the nation’s top high school talent, including more than 30 players who would go on to the NBA.

Kline redshirted his first season for a talented Hoosier squad that reached the national championship game. After a solid season the next year, he began to take off as a redshirt sophomore, starting 12 games and averaging seven points before a serious knee injury changed the course of his college career. He made it back to the court, but never regained his strength and explosiveness. Kline made seven more starts over his final two seasons with the Hoosiers.

After basketball, Kline has spent nearly two decades with MacAllister Machinery and now serves as regional rental sales manager. In 2009 he married Connie Myers, herself a former Indiana All-Star basketball player at Columbia City.

They are raising five children, coach youth sports and remain deeply involved in their church and community. In 2025, Connie was selected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team, and one year later Sean earned the same honor.

Twenty-five years after his Huntington North career, Kline looks back with a perspective he says he could not have possessed as a teenager. The records, championships and recruiting battles remain special memories, but today he finds equal appreciation in the sacrifices his parents made, the opportunities basketball provided and the chance to pass those lessons on to his own children and others.