Kel’el Ware and the Miami Heat win the NBA Las Vegas Summer League
Former Indiana University Star Kel’el Ware and the Miami Heat won the NBA Las Vegas Summer League with a 120-118 overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies at the Thomas and Mack Center on the UNLV Campus Monday Night. The 15th overall pick in the June NBA Draft Ware posted his 4th Double-Double in Las Vegas with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Ware started every game he played in this summer playing 8 total games between Las Vegas and the California Classic in San Francisco. Ware had 5 double-doubles this summer and was named 1st Team All-NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Ware played 32 minutes Monday Night going 8-10 from the field 0-1 from three-point range and 5-6 from the field along with a block. Miami finished 6-0 in Las Vegas and 2-1 in California for an 8-1 record this summer. Jake LaRavia who played his High School Basketball at Lawrence Central HS in Indianapolis scored 32 points to lead Memphis. LaRavia played two seasons at Indiana State from 2019-21 and transferred to Wake Forest for the 2021-22 season and was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft before his Draft Rights were traded to Memphis.
Memphis led 57-54 at Halftime and outscored Miami 37-33 in the Third Quarter to lead 94-87 going into the fourth. The Heat outscored the Grizzlies 26-19 in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime tied 113-113. Summer League Rules state when the game goes to overtime a Target score of plus 7 points is set so the teams played to 120 making sure the game is ended on a made basket called the Elam Eding. Pelle Larsson who played at the University of Arizona and was taken 44th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets and then his draft rights were sent to Miami hit the game winner with a floater as the Heat are the NBA Summer League Champions.
Indiana University Cross Country Announces 2024 season schedule
Indiana cross country head coach Eric Heins announces the Hoosiers’ 2024 cross country schedule including one home meet at the Sam Bell Cross Country Course and three races on the road. “I am excited about the competitive level of this schedule,” Heins said. “I believe it sets both teams up to see a variety of courses as well as competition from all over the country, all while staying relatively close to home. Year in and year out, our team goals are to be competing for a B1G team title and qualifying for the national championships. This schedule prepares us for both of those goals.”
The Hoosiers will begin their season on Aug. 30th with the Sam Bell Invitational. This is the first home race under Heins and the first since the 2022 season. Indiana will travel to their first away meet with the Fighting Illini Big Ten Preview at the University of Illinois’ Blue Golf Course on Sept. 13th. The Hoosiers will take a few weeks off for training before heading to the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in Chicago, Ill. on Oct. 4th. Up next, the cream and crimson will gear up for the postseason as they close out the regular season with the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals meet at the Thomas Zimmerman Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wis. The University of Illinois will host the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 1st at the Orange and Blue Golf Course in Savoy, Ill. Following the conference championships, the NCAA Great Lakes Regional will be held in Norton, Ohio, at the Silver Creek Cross Country Course on Nov. 15th. The 2024 NCAA Championships are set in Madison, Wis., again at the Thomas Zimmerman Championship Course on Nov. 23rd.
2024 Indiana Cross Country Schedule
| August 30 | Sam Bell Invitational | Bloomington, Ind. | Sam Bell Cross Country Course |
| September 13 | Fighting Illini Big Ten Preview | Savoy, Ill. | Orange & Blue Golf Course |
| October 4 | Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational | Chicago, Ill. | Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course |
| October 19 | Wisconsin Pre-Nationals | Madison, Wis. | Thomas Zimmerman Championship Cross Country Course |
| November 1 | Big Ten Championships | Savoy, Ill. | Orange & Blue Golf Course |
| November 15 | NCAA Great Lakes Regional | Norton, Ohio | Silver Creek Cross Country Course |
| November 23 | NCAA Championships | Madison, Wis. | Thomas Zimmerman Championship Cross Country Course |
Ramsey Gary and Delaynie Maple to Represent Indiana University Volleyball at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago
The Big Ten Conference will host its third annual Volleyball Media Days on August 5th and 6th, bringing together the league’s 18 programs in a continued effort to promote one of the fastest growing sports in college athletics. Head coach Steve Aird, sophomore libero Ramsey Gary and graduate student defensive specialist Delaynie Maple will represent Indiana at the two-day event in Chicago. The Hoosiers are set to speak on the morning of August 6th. The night before will feature a banquet dinner for the coaches and student-athletes of all 18 programs. Originally created ahead of the 2022 season, the Big Ten is the only conference to host an in-person media event to bring student-athletes and coaches together to discuss the upcoming season. Each school will go through a variety of stations which includes a press conference, photo station, on-air interviews and a number of social media trends.
Gary, an all-Big Ten libero in 2023, spent her summer playing with the U.S. U-21 National Team. She broke the program’s single season digs record (530) and helped the Hoosiers to a 21-win season as a freshman. She is one of five returning starters, pairing with All-American setter Camryn Haworth as one of the best libero-setter duos in the conference. Maple, who won four National Beach Volleyball Championships with USC, is using her extra year of eligibility to play indoor with the Hoosiers. A well-respected leader on the court, Maple has the ability to play in a number of roles including as an attacker or defensive specialist. IU will open fall camp on August 8th before beginning the regular season with a trip to Georgia to play Kennesaw State (Aug. 30) and Wichita State (Aug. 31). The home opener at Wilkinson Hall will be September 2nd vs. UC-Davis.
Indiana University Field Hockey Adds Sasha Elliott to the Coaching Staff
Indiana Head Coach Kayla Bashore has announced the hiring of Sasha Elliott to Indiana Field Hockey’s coaching staff as an assistant coach. Elliott played collegiately at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Louisville. She was at VCU from 2018-2021 and played her final season at Louisville in 2022. “It’s very exciting for Sasha to join our staff,” Bashore said on the hiring of Elliott. “She has played at a very high level, so I look forward to her sharing her knowledge and experience with our goalkeepers and coaching staff. She has been an instrumental part of the teams she has played for as a player and has grown into a great leader. Bringing Sasha to the coaching side is a huge benefit to our program!”
Both at Louisville and VCU, she was a dynamic force in the cage. In her lone season at Louisville, she compiled 100 saves with an ACC best .775 saves percentage and 1.44 goals against average. She had a season-high nine saves against No. 2 North Carolina (Sep. 16) and was named both ACC Defensive Player of the Week as well as NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week for the weeks of September 13 and October 18. Her stellar play earned her All-ACC First Team honors while also being an ACC All-Academic Team athlete. The Cardinals sported a 12-8 record in 2022 while reaching the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 6 Penn State in their opening game.
At VCU, she logged four seasons as the team’s starting goalkeeper and was tabbed a two-time NFHCA All-South Region selection. She helped lead the Rams to an Atlantic 10 title during the spring 2021 season. She was named the Atlantic 10 Championship’s Most Outstanding Player for that title run. Upon winning the Atlantic 10 title, VCU fell to Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 2-1. She finished her VCU career with 1.08 goals against average, a 0.766 save percentage and 17 shutouts in 61 games. “I am beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to be joining the Indiana University field hockey staff,” Elliott said. “It is a privilege to learn from this coaching staff and I can’t wait to start working with the goalkeepers and to share my passion for the game with team.” Elliott is from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where she attended Het Amsterdam Lyceum. She played for Pinoke MA1 U18 in the highest Dutch league. Her team finished first in the league and won the national championship with the MA2 U18 team. She recorded the lowest goals against average at Pinoke among 72 goalies during the 2016-17 season.
Big Ten Football Championship Game staying in Indianapolis through 2028
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti announced at Big Ten football media days on Tuesday that the Big Ten football championship game will remain in Indianapolis through 2028. The game will continue to be played in Lucas Oil Stadium, the only stadium that the Big Ten football championship game has ever been played. The first Big Ten football championship game was played in 2011. This season will be the first season that the Big Ten will not have divisions since the championship game started. The top two teams in the final regular season standings will play each other in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship. This will also be the first season of the expanded 12 team playoff for college football. “The new expanded college football playoffs will give Bigger Ten teams the opportunity to compete for a national championship,” Petitti said. Michigan beat Iowa in the championship last year, and the Wolverines were the eventual College Football Playoff champions.
Indianapolis to Host the WBIT Semifinals and Championship Games at Hinkle Fieldhouse in 2025
The 2025 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) semifinals and finals will return to Indianapolis. The games will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler University’s campus. “Indianapolis did an outstanding job hosting our inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament,” Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball, said in a press release. “We are thrilled to be returning to Hinkle Fieldhouse in 2025. The enthusiasm and support from the local community for women’s basketball in Indianapolis continues to grow. We are excited to build on the momentum for all of women’s basketball and from this past year’s WBIT as we look forward to crowning a 2025 WBIT champion.” This is the second year in a row that Indianapolis will host the final games. Last year, Illinois defeated Villanova in the WBIT championship. The semifinals will be on March 31st and the championship game will be on April 2nd. The WBIT is similar to what the NIT is for men’s college basketball. Indianapolis will also host the NIT semifinals and finals for the second consecutive year as well, with those games also being at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Indiana Pacer Jarace Walker named to the NBA2K25 All-Summer League Second Team
Indiana Pacers Forward Jarace Walker was named to the NBA 2K25 All-Summer League Second Team, the NBA announced on Monday. Walker, the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, played in Indiana’s first four Summer League contests over the last two weeks in Las Vegas. The 20-year-old averaged 18 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal per game. He shot an impressive 45.8 percent from 3-point range on 6 attempts per game. The NBA 2K25 Summer League First Team featured Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II, Clippers wing Jordan Miller, Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr., Rockets guard Reed Sheppard and Heat center Kel’el Ware. Walker was joined on the Second Team by Wizards guard Bub Carrington, Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Nets forward Jalen Wilson. Wilson was also named the Summer League MVP.
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