Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Celebrates its 14th Induction Class
The Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Celebrated its 2024 10 Member Induction Class with a sold-out crowd at the Monroe Convention Center Friday Night in Downtown Bloomington. Since 2011 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 147 Athletes, Coaches, Contributors and Humanitarians and all 14 plaques hang in Fountain Square Mall in Downtown Bloomington. Six Scholarship Athlete Award Winners were honored in separate ceremony in June with a $1,000 Scholarship as One Female and One Male from Bloomington North, Bloomington South and Edgewood High Schools are honored. Since 2011 $ 72,000 dollars has been given to 87 scholarship award winners. Annalise Coyne from Bloomington South and Hadley Lucas from Bloomington North were in attendance with their families. Coyne will attend Purdue University along with Riley Haskett and Joshua Kohne of Edgewood HS. Lucas is headed to the University of Wisconsin for Track and Field. Jaidyn Johnson from Bloomington North is headed to the University of Louisville for Track and Field and Ryan Rheam from Bloomington South is already at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York along with his brother.
The Coaches were honored first with Paul Anderson honoring his Father Garry Anderson who passed away in December of 2020. Anderson coached Track and Field and Wrestling for over 31 Years at Edgewood HS. Paul is an assistant football coach at Edgewood, and he told the story about how when he couldn’t get is father to take his medication in the final days before he passed away, he told him it was time to get tough and it was overtime and his dad grab his hand and Said “Overtime” and took his Medication. Eric Moore who graduated from Edgewood HS in 1979 and Coaches Football and Track and Field at Center Grove High School in Greenwood could not believe at all the people that have been inducted from this county and ended his speech saying, ” Go Mustangs, Go Hoosiers and Go Trojans” giving reference to Edgewood, IU and Center Grove not mention that he doesn’t Like Bloomington South and “Glad he doesn’t have to play them anymore”.
The Contributors were honored as Bill Atkinson who was coach and Administrator at Edgewood High School for 30 Years and was considered for all three categories after playing for the Indiana Hoosiers in Football. The Atkinson’s were quite the family of Edgewood with Bill’s wife Donna also an Athlete and their four daughters Jette, Kate Sarah and Marcy all excelling in High School Sports at Edgewood and playing Basketball for their dad who won 4 Sectional and 2 Regionals in the single class basketball era. David Grossman who spent 50 years as an athletic trainer and retired a couple of years ago told the crowd that he has taped up ” Bill Atkinson, Mark Deal and Jordan Hulls, and that is good company to be in” Grossman Said. Mark Deal was the master of ceremonies for the Banquet and he and Atkinson played at IU and Hulls was at Bloomington South. Grossman mentioned that when he was trainer in the Major League Baseball not to wear brand new white shoes on the baseball field because they get dirty in a hurry.
The Six Athletes were next with Greg Easton who graduated from Bloomington High School in 1965 as a three-sport standout in Football, Baseball and Basketball and joined the Bloomington Police Department after attending Indiana University. Sara Fields-Hamidovic won the 2000 State Discus Title and Mental Attitude Award at Bloomington North now coaches the Throwers at her Alma-Mater including Hadley Lucas who won five Individual State titles in The Discus and The Shot Put along with the Mental Attitude Award and she said it was special that they are honored in the same year. For Fields-Hamidovic it was a full circle moment as she was traveling the next morning to West Point with her son who competes for the Cougars for a visit to perform in front of the coach. Greg Granger who until Luke Hayden was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft last week was the first Edgewood Mustangs selected in the Major League Baseball Draft and he was selected twice by the Atlanta Braves in 1991 and the Detroit Tigers in 1993. Granger congratulated Hayden and his family on being selected and when scouts came to see him pitch at Lake City Community College in Florida, he mentioned one of his teammates came up to him and said ” Granger, the entire National League is here to see you pitch”.
Jordan Hulls who 2009 State Champion and Indiana Mr. Basketball from Bloomington South stayed home to play with the Hoosiers and returned home after a 9-year pro basketball career in Europe to join Mike Woodson’s Coaching Staff. Hulls is on the Assembly Ball IU Alumni Team for the Basketball Tournament and missed Friday’s Night opening round game at Hinkle Fieldhouse to be honored by his hometown with is oldest son in attendance. ” We have three kids under 7 and we left them at home not because we don’t love them, we did not want them to be disruptive with all the speeches going on and be a distraction” Hulls said. Djibril Kante 1997 State Champion at Bloomington North and 1998 Indiana All-Star had his father who worked overseas was in attendance Friday Night and when Bloomington North made the State Run in 1997 his dad was working overseas and did not have a lot of contact with him and before a game there was sign from his family that said, “Dad Called and he is okay”. Kante’s Father was born in Mali and his mom was raised in Gary Indiana and he was reminded by his dad that we do not celebrate ourselves but Kante like all the inductees were celebrated Friday Night. The final speaker of the night was Mike Mossbrucker who was a 1976 Indvidual State Champion in Wrestling and 1977 Team State Champion at Bloomington North. Mossbrucker was the athletic director at Bloomington North and serves as the Athletic Director at Mooresville High School. Kante said ” I used to not like Bloomington South like Coach Moore Mentioned but Kante told the story of a friend from Bloomington South who took him all over to tournaments. No Matter which school you attended all of Monroe County Unites to Celebrate this County’s storied history of Athletes, Coaches and Contributors who join as latest members of the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame.
Assembly Ball wins The Basketball Tournament Opener over the Cru at Hinkle Fieldhouse
It wasn’t exactly Indiana University basketball, but for a few moments in July, it sure felt like it. Point guard Yogi Ferrell, second on Indiana’s all-time 3-point leaderboard, elicited that sentiment soon after the opening tipoff. A few steps behind the 3-point arc on the right wing, he stepped back and drained a deep 3-pointer like he’s done so many times wearing the cream and crimson. That opened the scoring for No. 1 seed Assembly Ball and set them on the path to an 89-79 win over No. 8 seed The Cru, a Valparaiso alumni-based team, on Friday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in The Basketball Tournament (TBT). “It was amazing,” Juwan Morgan said postgame. “There’s nothing like just getting ready for a game and the candy stripes. You see the sea of cream and crimson, and the fans are just amazing.” The teams went back and forth for much of the first half, but Assembly Ball closed the half on a 15-4 run to take a 48-38 lead into halftime. They enjoyed a comfortable lead for most of the second half – with “IU” and “defense” chants echoing throughout the arena.
It wasn’t Assembly Hall – the team has six non-Hoosiers, too – but a couple other moments gave a few thousand Indiana fans that feeling of Indiana basketball they crave during the summer months. Ferrell put on a show for the Hoosier faithful, leading Assembly Ball with 27 points. He wasn’t shy to pull up from long range, knocking down 4-of-9 3-point attempts, a few from way downtown. Ferrell played five NBA seasons and now plays professionally overseas, and it’s clearly his offense to operate. Did that look like the same Yogi Ferrell from his college days? “Yeah,” Morgan said with a smile. “Just strong, fast and makes shots that are insane just look normal. He’s the same Yogi.”
Race Thompson, a Hoosier from 2017-23, got a big hand from the crowd when he checked in. Thompson spent the last year rehabbing a broken bone in his leg suffered after his Indiana career while preparing for NBA Summer League action with the New York Knicks. He attended many Indiana games during the 2023-24 season, and he grinned when it was finally his time to return to in-game action. Thompson finished with one rebound, one steal and a block in eight minutes. Juwan Morgan, one of three Hoosiers all-time with a triple-double, did a bit of everything for Assembly Ball. He was smart to lob the ball to Julian Gamble for a transition alley-oop, and he never gave up on a possession, snatching 10 rebounds. Morgan showed off his perimeter game, too, knocking down 2-of-5 3-point attempts, which contributed to his 12 points. “I feel great,” Morgan said. “As you can see, it’s a lot of our first times playing together. I mean, there’s some blending of generations, whether that’s Troy, Yogi and me, or me with Race and Devonte, and then the other guys that have come in as well … Overall, I feel we have as great a chance as anybody.”
The crowd loved to see Devonte Green drain a 3-pointer and dish out a couple flashy assists with his memorable unlimited ammo tattoo. But he ended the night just 1-for-6 from the field. Even Indiana All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis, now with the Golden State Warriors, and Anthony Leal, who’s still playing for coach Mike Woodson’s Hoosiers, sat on the end of the bench and showed support for the team. They got a big round of applause from the heavily Indiana-favored crowd.
“Incredible,” Julian Gamble said of the Indiana fans. “Showing up, I think we got here around six and it was all red in the gym. I almost forgot we were at Butler, but even to be an hour away and to have all these fans come out and support these guys and hearing the noise when you’re coming out of the tunnel, it kind of does give you that college feel again. “Even as a non-IU guy, I’m happy for them. I can only imagine what that feeling is to play back in front of your fans and you kind of feel like you’re back at home and see a lot of old, familiar faces. You know, what better place to do it than a tournament where you have a chance to win $1 million.”
Other former Indiana basketball players on the roster like Jordan Hulls, Miller Kopp, Troy Wiliams and Noah Vonleh didn’t play Friday night. Williams was in uniform but didn’t see the floor, and Kopp will join the team after his obligations with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA Summer League team are over. Hulls and Vonleh weren’t in attendance. As for the non-Hoosiers, Julian Gamble (Miami, 2008-13), Kristian Doolittle (Oklahoma 2016-20) and Keith Hornsby (UNC Asheville, LSU, 2011-16) accompanied Ferrell and Morgan in the starting lineup. Gamble was a force inside, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds, while Doolittle finished with eight points and seven rebounds and Hornsby missed his five field goal attempts. The Other Games Friday at Hinkle Fieldhouse saw #2 All Good Dawgs the Butler Alumni Team beat #7 Fail Harder 90-67. #6 Eberlein Drive knocked off #3 Team Arkansas which is the Arkansas Alumni Squad 79-76 and #4 Men of Mackey which is the Purdue Alumni Team beat #5 Fort Wayne Champs 75-63.
Indiana Fever Trio helps the WNBA-All Stars beat the United States Olympic Team in WNBA All Star Game
In the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, Team WNBA prevailed against the USA Women’s National Team, 117-109, as Fever players Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 21 points and 12 assists on Saturday night at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. In 14 minutes of playing time, Mitchell recorded 13 points, nine of which came from the third quarter, two steals and one assist in her second-consecutive WNBA All-Star appearance. With roughly three minutes left in the third quarter, Mitchell hit a 3-point field goal to put Team WNBA ahead, 72-65, followed with a made layup as she ran down the floor in transition, fueling her team’s 17-7 run. As the final seconds of the third quarter ticked down, Mitchell made a buzzer-beater field goal, keeping her team in the lead, 88-79.
In her WNBA All-Star debut, Clark became only the third rookie in franchise history to start an All-Star Game, joining Tamika Catchings (2002) and Boston (2023). In Clark’s 26 minutes of play, she tied the second most assists recorded in a WNBA All-Star Game with a game-high 10 assists, five of which came from the second quarter alone, along with four points and two steals. In her second-consecutive All-Star Game, Boston came off the bench and tallied four points, two rebounds and one assist. Team WNBA led by as much as 20 points, 106-86, at the midway point in the final quarter. They outscored Team USA in bench points, 54-37; paint points, 52-50; and fastbreak points, 16-10. Dallas Wings guard and Team WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale was crowned the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game MVP after recording a WNBA All-Star record for most points scored in a game with 34, all of which came from the second half. The Indiana Fever return to action on Friday, August 16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Phoenix Mercury.
Indiana Pacers Close Out the Las Vegas Summer League with a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers
The 2024 Las Vegas Summer League has come to a close for the Indiana Pacers. Indiana wrapped up its schedule in Sin City on Saturday with a 100-93 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the loss, the Pacers finished 1-4 in the annual 30-team competition. The Pacers looked much different in their final game from a personnel standpoint. Indiana rolled out a new starting five against the Cavs, as second-year Pacers Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker as well as 2024 34th overall draft pick Johnny Furphy didn’t dress for the game. Indiana’s 49th and 50th picks from 2024, Tristen Newton and Enrique Freeman, started instead, along with third-year Pacer Kendall Brown.
Walker, the eighth overall pick in 2023, finished his Summer League campaign averaging 18 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Indiana hopes Walker, 20, can become a regular fixture in the Pacers’ rotation this upcoming season. Indiana’s final game in Las Vegas was close from start to finish, featuring 20 ties and 12 lead changes. Cleveland outshot Indiana 52.1 to 43.4 percent from the floor and made 11 3-pointers to Indiana’s five makes from deep, including a dagger in the final 30 seconds of play. Despite the loss, Indiana two-way guard Quenton Jackson shined against the Cavs, scoring 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting, while Newton had his best game as a pro with 18 points and six rebounds. Oscar Tshiebwe, the reigning G League Rookie of the Year, logged 17 points and six rebounds for the Blue & Gold.
Cleveland rookie Jaylon Tyson, the 20th overall pick from California, led all scorers with 23 points. After Tyson, Cleveland’s Darius Brown had 19 points on five made 3-pointers off the bench, and Pete Nance, son of three-time All-Star and 1984 Slam Dunk Contest champ Larry Nance, posted 16 points and eight rebounds. Tshiebwe collected 10 points and five rebounds in the first half for the Pacers, and Newton recorded nine points, but the teams tied at 38 at halftime. Tyson led all scorers with 11 points at the break. Despite six points and four rebounds from Tshiebwe in the first quarter, the Pacers shot just 36.4 percent as a team to trail the Cavs 22-18. After an early 7-0 run put the Pacers up by five, the Cavs used a 15-4 burst in the final 5:22 of the first quarter to go back in front. The Pacers chipped away in the second quarter until an 8-2 scoring string down the final stretch of the half, where Tshiebwe scored on back-to-back baskets, tied the game at 38 going into intermission.
Indiana made five of its first six shots of the third quarter to go on a 9-2 run, which included Jackson throwing down possibly the dunk of the summer on a one-handed alley-oop, to lead 49-44 with 6:39 left in the period. The Cavs answered with an 11-2 run, and in the final 3:32 neither team led by more than a possession. A buzzer-beating putback by Brown gave Cleveland a 65-64 lead. In the final 10 minutes, the teams tied the score seven times. Brown scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, going 3-for-5 from 3-point range, while Jackson scored as many points as possible for the Pacers in the final frame. It was a one-possession game for most of the fourth quarter, but after tying at 83 midways through the final frame, the Cavs made a trio of 3-pointers to lead 94-89 with 1:43 left. Free throws by Newton and a layup from Freeman cut it to 95-93, but a three from Nance at the top of the key with 24 seconds left created enough of a cushion for the Cavs in the final moments. Indiana will use the Summer League results to help shape its 2024-2025 roster. After re-signing Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin this summer and adding former No. 1 overall pick Jame Wiseman, the Pacers still have three open spots on their 15-man roster.
IU Incoming Softball Freshman Peyton Drummond Named NFCA First Team All-American and 2024 New Balance/Golden Shoe Award Winner
Incoming Indiana Freshman Peyton Drummond was announced as a First Team All-American and 2024 New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe Award recipient by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Friday. Drummond, a Floyds Knobs, Ind. native, was one of 13 high school prospects in the country to earn First Team All-American honors and was one of 39 players nationally to earn any All-American status. By being an NFCA All-American, Drummond also notched her second career NFCA All-Region accolade, earning the honor as a junior in 2023, as well.
She earned the Golden Shoe award from her outstanding work on the base paths. Drummond swiped 60 bases in 64 attempts and finished her career with 181 stolen bases, the second most in Indiana high school history. Drummond, an outfielder, also batted .563 at the plate with 67 hits, 50 runs scored and 34 RBI in her senior campaign at Floyd Central High School. In her time at Floyd Central, Drummond and the Highlanders won two sectional championships in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. She was a four-year letterwinner at Floyd Central and also lettered in indoor track. Additionally, she was a three-time All-Conference and All-State honoree from 2022-2024. The Floyds Knobs native also recently represented the South team in the 2024 Indiana High School North/South All-Star Classic. Drummond will arrive in Bloomington this August and join seven other incoming freshmen.
Indiana University Men’s Tennis Player Jagger Saylor to Receive NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Indiana Men’s Tennis Senior Jagger Saylor was announced as a spring recipient of the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. As an honoree of this award, Saylor will receive a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $10,000 for part-time or full-time graduate study at a university or professional school. The NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually and are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically. Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.
Saylor, a Westfield, Ind. native, was a consistent presence in the Indiana lineup throughout his Hoosier career. In his final collegiate season, Saylor had 7-3 doubles record in the spring while posting eight singles wins. He went 6-1 while playing at No. 2 doubles and mostly split his time in singles play between No. 3 and 4 singles. Saylor is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar award winner.
2025 National Invitational Tournament Semifinals and Championship Game to be Held at Hinkle Fieldhouse
Indianapolis will host the National Invitation Tournament for the second consecutive year in 2025, according to the NCAA. The semifinals and championship of the 2025 NIT will remain in Indianapolis and be played at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. Indianapolis will also host the 2026 NIT semifinals and championship as part of the combined Divisions I, II- and III-Men’s Basketball Championships. The 2025 semifinals will take place Tuesday, April 1, with the championship game set for Thursday, April 3. The 88th NIT will continue to feature a 32-team field with the first round, second round and quarterfinals played at campus sites.
This Week in Hoosier History
1969– Purdue University graduate Neil A. Armstrong walked on the moon as a member of the Apollo 11 Space Program.
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