Kel’el Ware in Brooklyn for the NBA Draft
For the first time since the National Basketball Association shortened the annual draft to two rounds, the event will take place over two nights. Round one will take place at 8pm this evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and the second round at 4pm on Thursday at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in Manhattan. Kel’el Ware who will be in the Green Room this evening is an All-Big Ten Second Team selection, averaged team highs in points (15.9 per game), rebounds (9.9), and blocked shots (1.9). He became the third Hoosier in the last 25 seasons (D.J. White, Trayce Jackson-Davis to average at least 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds for a season. Ware shot 58.6% (188-of-321) from the floor and 42.5% (17-of-40) from the 3-point line. The Big Ten All-Defensive Team honoree added a team-best 15 double-doubles to go along with 19 multi-block contests. The North Little Rock, Ark., native measured 6’11.75″ with a 7’4.5″ wingspan and a 9’4.5″ standing reach. All three figures ranked top-5 of all participants in the Draft Combine. The Indiana men’s basketball program ranks seventh among all Division I programs with 27 players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft since its inception in 1947. The Hoosiers rank third among Big Ten teams in first-round picks and are one of six conference schools with at least 20 first-round selections. Indiana has produced two No. 1 overall picks, tied for third in the NCAA. In total, IU has had 79 players selected in the NBA Draft.
Hoosiers Selected in the First Round of the NBA Draft
First Overall
Walt Bellamy, Chicago, 1961
Kent Benson, Milwaukee, 1977
Second Overall
Archie Dees, Cincinnati, 1958
Scott May, Chicago, 1976
Isiah Thomas, Detroit, 1981
Victor Oladipo, Orlando, 2013
Fourth Overall
Cody Zeller, Charlotte, 2013
Sixth Overall
Calbert Cheaney, Washington, 1993
Seventh Overall
Quinn Buckner, Milwaukee, 1976
Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers, 2008
Eighth Overall
Ward Williams, Fort Wayne, 1948
Ninth Overall
Noah Vonleh, Charlotte, 2014
11th Overall
Bob Wilkerson, Seattle, 1976
Jared Jeffries, Washington, 2002
12th Overall
Mike Woodson, New York, 1980
14th Overall
Romeo Langford, Boston, 2019
16th Overall
Alan Henderson, Atlanta, 1995
Kirk Haston, Charlotte, 2001
17th Overall
Steve Downing, Boston, 1973
Uwe Blab, Dallas, 1985
Greg Graham, Charlotte, 1993
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Los Angeles Lakers, 2023
18th Overall
Ray Tolbert, New Jersey, 1981
22nd Overall
Randy Wittman, Washington, 1983
23rd Overall
OG Anunoby, Toronto, 2017
27th Overall
Brian Evans, Orlando, 1995
29th Overall
D.J. White, Detroit, 2008
Indiana University Football lands Edge Rusher Triston Abram for 2025
Class of 2025 edge rusher Triston Abram announced his commitment to IU football on Sunday afternoon. The 3-star recruit was on campus for a visit this weekend. From St. Louis, the 6-foot-3 and 225-pound Abram attends Christian Brothers College where he had eight sacks and 14 tackles for loss as a junior. Abram is the No. 929 ranked overall player in the 2025 class, and the No. 78 edge. In addition to IU, Abram had offers from Memphis, Kansas State, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Kansas, California, and others. With the addition of Abram, IU now has 15 commits in their rising senior high school class. After the commitment, the class ranks 55th overall and No. 17 in the Big Ten according to On3.
Tommy Weakley named new Athletic Director at Seven Oaks Classical School in Ellettsville
Seven Oaks Classical School is pleased to announce the appointment of Tommy Weakley as the new Athletic Director. With a distinguished background in both athletics and education, Mr. Weakley brings a wealth of experience and a passion for sports to our school community. Mr. Weakley is a native of Ellettsville and excelled in basketball, cross country, and track in high school. Notably, he was recognized as an Indiana “Top 40” Selection and received Academic All-State Honorable Mention. His academic achievements earned him the prestigious Eli Lilly Scholarship, which allowed him to attend DePauw University. There, he continued to showcase his athletic prowess by playing four years of NCAA Basketball.
Mr. Weakley holds a diverse educational background, having studied Psychology, Sociology, and History at DePauw University and Indiana University. His commitment to athletics extended beyond his own participation, as he took on coaching roles to inspire and guide young athletes. He served as a high school varsity assistant boys basketball coach for two seasons and at DePauw University for one season. Additionally, he was the director of basketball at Tier Ten Sports for eight years and led Bloomington’s Youth Basketball Instructional Season (Season 1) for five years. His dedication to fostering athletic skills and sportsmanship continued as he taught Introduction to Basketball courses at Indiana University for two years. Beyond coaching, Mr. Weakley has demonstrated strong leadership and management skills in various roles. He has worked in digital marketing, served as the general manager for Tier Ten Sports, and held the position of Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington. His well-rounded experience and commitment to youth development make him an excellent fit for the Athletic Director role at Seven Oaks.
In his personal time, Mr. Weakley enjoys spending time with friends and family, engaging in sports, listening to music, and hiking with his beloved lab-retriever, Frankie. “Sports are a powerful way of building character and community, two things that are central to our school’s mission. We wanted to find someone who shared those priorities, and we think we’ve found that person in Mr. Weakley.” said Headmaster Dr. Stephen Shipp. “His impressive background in athletics and education, combined with his dedication to youth development, aligns perfectly with our mission to train the minds and improve the hearts of our students. We are delighted that he is joining the Seven Oaks family, and we’re looking forward to seeing where he takes our athletics program.”
Indianapolis Native Cole Hocker Smashes the Olympic Trials Record in the 1,500 Meters to Punch his Ticket to Paris
Cole Hocker ran into the record books and straight to Paris Monday night in the U.S. Track and Field Trials in Oregon. The Cathedral High School graduate set a trials record in the 1,500 meters, finishing in 3:30.60 to lead three qualifiers for the Summer Olympics. “I was just ready for anything today, I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. In 2021, I was able to depend on my kick, but I knew today was going to take a little bit more than just a kick and that was absolutely true. I just knew, once I made a decision, commit to it and that’s what I did.” Hocker nearly set the trials record in his first run Friday night, finishing in 3:34.34. He was about three seconds slower in winning Saturday’s semifinal but smashed the mark on Monday.
Notre Dame grad Yared Nuguse and Hobbs Kessler also qualified for Paris in the event. Nuguse is the American record holder in the 1,500 and the mile. Hocker finished sixth in the 1,500 in Tokyo in 2021 with a time of 3:31.40. In February, he set a new meet record at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships, when he edged Kessler by a little over a second. Hocker is also scheduled to run in the heats of the 5,000 meters on Thursday.
Indianapolis Sets Record Breaking Attendance for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis and USA Swimming are celebrating the success of the Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis from June 15-23. The meet had a combined attendance of more than 285,000 people, which is a 60% increase from the previous Olympic Swim Trials. That attendance record was capped by the evening session on June 15, hitting a record attendance of 20,689. That was then eclipsed by attendance at the evening session on June 19 with 22,209 fans. “One of USA Swimming’s main goals, aside from remaining the best swimming nation in the world, is to promote our sport and expose it to new audiences,” said Tim Hinchey III, USA Swimming President and CEO. “As a host city, Indianapolis has exceeded our expectations, with the most tickets we’ve ever sold for an event. This overwhelming support is a testament to the growing popularity of the top Olympic sport and a promising sign for its growth.” This was the first Olympic Swim Trials held in an NFL stadium and was watched by millions on nightly NBC broadcasts. Multiple world and American records were broken during the nine days of swimming.
Indianapolis to Host WrestleMania, Summer Slam and the Royal Rumble
Indianapolis will soon become the ultimate battleground for some of the biggest names in WWE. Indiana Sports Corp officially announced Monday an eight-year partnership with WWE, hosting Royal Rumble in 2025, and a future WrestleMania and SummerSlam. Those main events will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium, while Raw, SmackDown, NXT and WWE live events will also be coming to arenas across Indiana throughout the partnership. “Indianapolis is a fantastic city for major events, and we’re excited to invite the WWE Universe to Lucas Oil Stadium for Royal Rumble in 2025, and a future SummerSlam and WrestleMania,” said Chris Legentil, executive vice president of talent relations and head of communications at WWE.
Fans can’t wait. “WrestleMania is like the Super Bowl of football. It’s going to be huge for the city,” wrestling fan Chris Redman said. Redman came to Gainbridge Fieldhouse with his son to try and catch a glimpse of two pro wrestlers during the announcement. “Being in WWE, it’s not always about the stadium spectacles. When we come to your town, WWE, we want to shine the brightest light on your city, on your state. We want to be involved in community events. We want to leave our legacy here, our impact here. We want to leave you with an experience like none other,” said Bianca Belair, three-time WWE women’s champion and Royal Rumble winner.
According to Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty, this is the first time in WWE history that they’ve made yearlong partnerships with a host city in a state. “This eight-year partnership will bring dozens of events, not just to Indianapolis but across the state. it will also include events like Monday Night Raw, Smackdown, NXT and WWE Live Events,” Talty said. Mayor Joe Hogsett called the partnership groundbreaking. “We’re not nearly finished coming in first,” Hogsett said. “Time and time again, this community proves that we are the best at hosting high-profile sporting events.”
It’s an experience fans like Timothy Wedgeworth Jr. can’t wait to see. Wedgeworth came to Gainbridge Fieldhouse donning a gold wrestling belt. “I just turned on the TV. Had nothing to watch and decided to put on WWE. And I just started liking it ever since,” Wedgeworth said. Pro wrestler Seth Rollins recalled his favorite WrestleMania match of all time.” When the ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage beat the ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair for the World Wrestling Federation championship at that time, and I am very much looking forward to creating memories like that here in the city of Indianapolis,” Rollins said.
Pro wrestlers like Rollins, Belair and many more are sure to wow the crowds. “They have a massive platform, and they’re amazing storytellers. I think to be able to bring them into town year over year over the length and scope of this partnership is only going to mean wonderful things for our city,” said Lauren Sparkman, founder and head of ventures of Sparkland Studios. Redman can’t wait. “We’re talking about going to Wrestlemania in Vegas next year, and now, we got the Rumble here, 15 minutes from the house. We’re like, ‘OMG! What do we do?'” Redman said. The combined economic impact for all three wrestling events is expected to bring in $350 million. Royal Rumble is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium. Fans can register now to receive presale offers for Royal Rumble 2025 by visiting the WWE website.
Taylor University Women’s Cross Country, Track secure Five CSC Academic All-District Honors
The College Sports Communicators (CSC) released its 2024 Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Academic All-District award-winners recently, in which five Trojans were honored. Audrey Brinkruff, Ashley Hall, Abby Mays, Ahna Neideck, and Noel VanderWall earned the award after terrific seasons on the track and during cross country, along with outstanding achievement inside the classroom.
Brinkruff earned a 3.87 grade-point average (GPA) in her biology studies. The junior earned NAIA All-American honors in the 5,000-meters during the indoor season and was a three-time All-Crossroads League athlete, along with collecting two Crossroads League Runner-of-the-Week awards. Brinkruff was named the USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week in the second week of the cross-country season. Hall posted a 3.80 GPA to earn her second CSC Academic All-District honor. Hall had an outstanding year on the track, setting three individual program records and being on a relay team, which set yet another. Hall was named All-Crossroads League in three events and an NAIA All-American during the indoor season in the distance medley relay.
Mays collected the award with a 4.00 GPA throughout her psychology classes. Mays was outstanding on the track in her first collegiate season at Taylor, earning three NAIA All-American Honors, two during the indoor season and one in the outdoor campaign. Mays was a stalwart in the 4×800-meter relay team, which finished top-eight in the NAIA in both seasons and was a key contributor in the distance medley relay during the indoor season. Neideck earned a 3.54 GPA throughout her four years at Taylor, earning her human physiology and preventative medicine degree. The Petoskey, Michigan native earned a pair of NAIA All-American nods in her final season, including a runner-up finish in the steeplechase, an event in which she was a four-time NAIA All-American.
VanderWall has posted a 3.97 GPA throughout her two years in her elementary education major. VanderWall had an incredible athletic year for the Trojans, collecting five All-American Honors. The standout sophomore picked up NAIA All-American Honors in every sports season she competed in, one in cross country and a pair during both track and field seasons. VanderWall finished third in the mile in the indoor campaign while setting the program record in the event. The sophomore also set a TU record in the 1,500-meters in the outdoor season while being on the amazing distance medley relay team, which set a Taylor record. The 2024 Academic All-District women’s track & field and cross-country teams, selected by each institution’s sports information department, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their performances on the track, in the field, and in the classroom. To be considered for the award, student-athletes must hold a minimum 3.50 GPA, achieve at least sophomore academic status, and reach certain performance thresholds in their respective track events or cross-country races. All five of Taylor’s all-district honorees have advanced to the Academic All-America national ballot to be voted on by members of the CSC, with the women’s results set to be announced on July 9.