
Indiana University Men’s Basketball wins in the Historic Palestra against Penn State The Indiana Hoosiers first ever visit to the Palestra in Philadelphia was a successful one as they held off the Penn State Nittany Lions 77-71 Sunday afternoon before a crowd 6,126 in the Cathedral of College Basketball. Indiana is 12-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten and will host USC on Wednesday Night at 7pm. Penn State is 12-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten and will travel to Illinois on Wednesday Night at 9pm. Indiana has won two in a row against Penn State and leads the all-time series 44-17. Indiana is 2-2 away from home this season and even though this was considered a Neutral Site Game even though it is a neutral site game it gives the Hoosiers some momentum going forward that they can win away from home in the Big Ten.
Oumar Ballo led Indiana with his second straight double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Ballo who started his career at Gonzaga then moving to Arizona and then coming to Bloomington pulled down his 1,000th career rebound Sunday. Ballo has three double doubles on the season. Mackenize Mgbako added 20 points along with 12 points from Luke Goode. Malik Reneau missed the game with a knee injury that he suffered less than a minute into the game against Rutgers last Thursday. Its unclear how much time Reneau will miss but it is believed that he will be back in a couple weeks. Indiana was finished 25-58 from the field for 44%, 9-23 from the free throw line for 39% and 16-22 from the free throw line for 72%. Indiana pulled down 39 rebounds, dished out 17 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, 28 points in the paint, 13 points off turnovers, 3 bench points and committed 14 turnovers.
Nick Kern scored 21 points off the bench to lead Penn State. Ace Baldwin Jr. added 12 points and Fred Dilone V added 11 points for the Nittany Lions. Penn State went 29-63 from the field for 46%, 3-21 from three-point range for 14% and 10-17 from the free throw line for 58%. Penn State pulled down 33 rebounds, 13 assists, 6 steals, 5 blocks, 52 points in the paint, 28 bench points, 23 points off turnovers and commit 10 turnovers.
Penn State went inside early and often and scored 48 of their 52 points in the paint before they hit back-to-back three pointers as Penn State cut the Indiana lead 65-61 with 5:50 left in the game. Penn State missed their first 12 shots from beyond the arc. Indiana did not make a field goal for the last three minutes and twenty-one seconds of the game. The Hoosiers closed out the game with four made free throws.
The game was tied 29-29 at halftime and Indiana started the second half with 12-0 run to lead 41-29 with 17:11 left in the second half and the first eight points of the half from Mackenize Mgbako. Penn State chipped away at lead as they outscored the Hoosiers 32-24 in that stretch to where they got to within four points. Indiana was able to finish the game outscoring Penn State 12-10 even though could not hit shots down the field and were able to hit free throws and get defensive stops. Indiana had nice crowd on hand and when they were up double digits the chants of “Let’s go Hoosiers” broke out. Indiana is now 11-9 in games played in Philadelphia and the first time playing in the Cathedral of College Basketball that has been in existence since January 1, 1927, and the Hoosiers cross two off the bucket list with the win.
Top Ranked UCLA remains unbeaten with a win over Indiana University Women’s Basketball The Top Ranked UCLA Bruins are 15-0 on the season after a 73-62 win over the Indiana Hoosiers Saturday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. UCLA is 4-0 in their first season in the Big Ten and will travel 2 hours up the road to face the Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday in West Lafayette. The Bruins are 15-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Indiana is 2-1 in the Big Ten along with a 10-4 overall record and will travel to Northwestern on Wednesday to face the Wildcats. UCLA leads the all-time series with the Hoosiers 3-1, and this is the second time the Bruins have won in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall after a 68-58 win on December 22, 2018. This was the first meeting between the two teams since UCLA Joined the Big Ten before the 2024-25 season and the Bruins have put their stamp on how they will be force throughout the season in this era of coast-to-coast conference basketball.
UCLA Head Coach Cori Close is excited to be part of the Big Ten and knows what it means to visit a place like Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. “The state of Indiana is such a passionate state.” Close said in her opening statement. This was UCLA’s first of three trips to Eastern and Central time zones this season and while she does not mind a noon Eastern Time tip off which is 9 AM in Los Angeles she says there will be some adjusting and tweaking to how they plan for each trip. “We practice 9 AM each morning so we are used to that” Close Said. “The problem is we have to get up earlier and do everything much earlier and this will be a wild year to how we adjust to everything, but we are excited to be In the Big Ten” Cori Close added. This was the first time that UCLA has gone away from the West Coast after a road trip to Washington and Home Games against Michigan and Nebraska, but Bruins are excited to see new teams and historic venues in the Big Ten. “I was excited to play here” UCLA Junior Kiki Rice said after the game. “The crowd was electric and its more fun to play on the road more than home sometimes because they don’t root for you, but I enjoyed playing here” Rice added. The Bethesda, Maryland native will get to go home to Maryland when UCLA travels to College Park to face the Terrapins on January 26 along with Freshman Zania Socka-Nugemen who is from Silver Spring, Maryland and Freshman Kendall Dudley who is from Manassas Park, Virginia.
6-7 Junior Lauren Betts led the way for UCLA with 25 points and 12 rebounds as she recorded her 9th double-double of the season. Betts finished 12-16 from the field, 1-4 from the free throw line, 3 assists, 2 blocks and steal. Kiki Rice scored 12 points and Gabriela Jacquez added 11 points. The Burins finished 28-62 from the field for 45%, 5-18 from three-point range for 27% and 12-19 from the free throw line 63%. UCLA pulled down 40 rebounds, dished out 19 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks, 40 points in the paint, 18 points off turnovers and 14 bench points and committed 13 turnovers. Yarden Garzon scored 19 points to lead Indiana. Chloe Moore-McNeil scored 12 points and Shay Ciezki added 11 points. The Hoosiers finished 22-55 from the field for 40%, 4-21 from three-point range for 19% and 14-17 from the free throw line for 82%. The Hoosiers pulled down 31 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks, 28 points in the paint, 11 bench points, 10 points off turnovers and committed 13 turnovers.
This was a very physical game as 46 fouls were called and three players fouled out. Indiana was called for 24 fouls as Karoline Striplin and Sydney Parrish fouled out late in the fourth quarter and Chloe Moore-McNeil had 4 fouls as the Hoosiers battled foul trouble throughout the game. UCLA was called for 22 fouls as Angela Dugalic fouled out in the fourth quarter and Jacquez picked four fouls. Indiana did everything they could against Betts throwing all their coverages at her but was pleased at the job that Lilly Meister and Karoline Striplin on her. “I think Lilly and Strip were working their tails off.” Indiana Head coach Teri Moren said after the game.
UCLA went to Betts early and often as the Bruins jumped out to a 11-4 with Betts scoring 6 points. Indiana responded 12-5 run to end the quarter as UCLA led 18-16. Indiana struggled to hit shots in the second quarter as the Bruins scored 11 points before Yarden Garzon hit a free throw as Indiana outscored UCLA 5-1 as Karoline Striplin hit a shot to beat the halftime buzzer as UCLA lead Indiana 33-21 at halftime, but the Bruins outscored the Hoosiers 15-5 in the second quarter. UCLA made it very hard on Indiana because of the Bruins size and speed and the second quarter was “really really tough” according to Teri Moren. Moren added that she was very proud of the team’s effort and if shots were able to fall it would have been a closer game. In the Second half the Hoosiers could not get over the hump as they trailed by 12 points 56-44 to end the third quarter. Indiana outscored UCLA 18-17 in the fourth quarter as the Bruins made one of their last eight shots from the field. The Hoosiers got within 8 points on two occasions, but the Bruins closed it out as Junior Janiah Barker waived to the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Crowd before the game was over and did not, please the home crowd.
UCLA Head Coach Cori Close praised the media that was in attendance after the game and says, “We want to keep growing the Game”. 11,528 were in attendance to see the Number 1 Team in the country for Women’s Basketball visit Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the first time since Penn State beat the Hoosiers 70-65 on February 13, 1994. Indiana is 0-6 against the number 1 team in the country but the popularity of Women’s Basketball continues to expand the Hoosiers and Coach Moren knows that the 18 team Big Ten is tough but they can still be one of the top teams in the league.
Indiana University Football lands Ohio State Offensive Tackle Zen Michalski Indiana has made a major addition to their offensive line for 2025. Ohio State transfer offensive tackle Zen Michalski has signed with the Hoosiers according to multiple Friday evening reports. Michalski is from Floyds Knobs, Ind. He attended Floyd Central H.S. The 6-foot-6 and 319-pound Michalski has appeared in 19 games for the Buckeyes and will have one year of eligibility remaining his redshirt senior season. Michalski was a four-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class. He was the No. 229 overall player, the No. 22 offensive tackle and No. 3 player in the state of Indiana for his class according to the On3 Industry Average. Indiana did offer him in high school, and he did visit Bloomington as a prep prospect. He is still with the Ohio State team as they play in the CFP. He returned to backup duty after missing the Buckeyes’ final five games of the regular season with an injury he suffered in his lone start of the year against Nebraska. Michalski filled in for the Buckeyes midgame after an injury when they played at Oregon in October.
According to PFF, Michalski played a total of 158 snaps in 2024, and he’s played 260 for his career. PFF gave him a solid 73.8 grade as a run blocker, but says he struggled as a pass blocker in his two primary games against Oregon and Nebraska this season. Overall, they say he gave up seven pressures in 75 opportunities. Indiana needs a right tackle in 2025 after starter Trey Wedig exhausted his eligibility. Michalski is IU’s first offensive line addition of the offseason.
Indiana University Football lands Old Dominion Quarterback Grant Wilson Indiana has added a second veteran quarterback from the transfer portal. Old Dominion transfer signal-caller Grant Wilson is headed to Bloomington according to multiple reports. The 6-foot-3 and 217-pound Wilson is a product of Arlington, Va. Wilson started three games at quarterback for ODU in 2024 before his season was ended by an injury. He completed 46-of-86 passes for 507 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. In 2023 Wilson played in 12 games, starting 11 at quarterback. He completed 178-of-312 passes for 2,149 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Against Curt Cignetti and James Madison, Wilson went 26-for-36 for a career-high 277 yards and two touchdowns.
He is a frequent runner. Wilson carried it 130 times for 291 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. He was sacked 51 times that year, so there’s a hefty deduction for sack yards in those numbers. Wilson transferred to ODU from Fordham. He should have at least one year of eligibility remaining, maybe two if he can get a medical hardship waiver for the 2024 season. Wilson joins a quarterback room that includes Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, along with redshirt freshmen Alberto Mendoza and Tyler Cherry, and true freshman Jacob Bell. According to a Friday report by the Indy Star, Cherry suffered a knee injury in December and his status for the 2025 season is questionable.
Indiana University Swimming and Diving Splits with the Florida Gators No. 2-ranked Indiana men’s swimming and diving took care of No. 4 Florida, 163-137, Friday in dual meet action inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. The meet finished in a split decision, as the No. 6-ranked IU women fell to the No. 4 Gators, 164-136. Junior Owen McDonald led the men, winning all three of his individual events – sweeping the backstroke events before completing the triple in the 200-yard IM. He was one of four Hoosier men to win an individual event Friday, while the IU quartet of Rafael Miroslaw, Matt King, Mikkel Lee and Tomer Frankel won the 400-yard freestyle relay. Friday marked King’s Hoosier debut after joining the program as a transfer in the fall. The Hoosiers picked up the win despite absences of recent World Champion Zalán Sárkány and mid-year transfer Caspar Corbeau.
Indiana’s senior diving duo of Quinn Henninger and Carson Tyler dominated the springboards Friday, sharing the top two spots in each event. On the 1-meter board, Tyler blew away the field with a 425.33, earning scores of 65.00 or better on each attempt, followed by Henninger in second with a 384.98 after a final-round 74.40 leapfrogged Florida’s Peyton Donald. Henninger came away the victory on 3-meter after a great battle between teammates, earning a score of 385.88 to Tyler’s 385.43.
Senior Anna Peplowski swept her events, taking the 100 and 200-yard freestyle events as well as the 200 IM. Peplowski out-touched Olympic teammate Emma Weyant in the 200 free by 2.37 seconds in a time of 1:44.78 before defeating the Florida senior again in the IM by 27 hundredths with a 1:59.10. In the 100 free, Peplowski dueled junior Kristina Paegle for the top two spots, winning in a time of 48.90 to Paegle’s 49.22. Paegle would get her victory in her signature event, the 50 free, posting an NCAA B cut time of 22.49. Sophomore Ella Roselli was also a winner on the women’s side, finishing first on the 1-meter board with a 297.53. Indiana will host No. 13/7 Michigan in a dual meet that may preview the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The meet is scheduled to begin at noon this Friday.
Kurtis Rourke played the entire 2024 Season with a Torn ACL according to a report Kurtis Rourke’s 2024 season at Indiana was already going down as the greatest by a quarterback in program history. But the lore grew on Friday after a report he may have chosen to play the entire season with a torn ACL. Reporting through Rourke’s agent Casey Muir, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network posted Friday on X that Rourke “will undergo ACL revision surgery Wednesday” and that “Rourke is believed to have re-torn his ACL in August.” Obviously, any decision by Rourke to play through a torn ACL would have been made by him and medical advisors.
Rourke also tore his right ACL at the end of the 2022 season while with Ohio. He played with a brace on his right knee throughout the 2024 season. And Rourke also suffered a throwing hand broken thumb in the seventh game of the season against Nebraska. He had surgery and missed just one game. Despite it all, Rourke set the Indiana single-season record for passing touchdowns (29) and produced just the fifth 3,000-yard passing season in program history with 3,042 yards. He finished among the top-10 in single-season total offense (3,007) and is just the seventh IU player to reach 3,000 yard of total offense in a single season.
Rourke led IU to the College Football Playoff, finished No. 9 in the Heisman Trophy balloting, earned second-team All-Big Ten, and was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davey O’Brien Award. The only Big Ten quarterback since 2000 to throw for 250 yards and at least 3 touchdown passes in their first three conference road games, Rourke completed 246-of-361 passes for 3,042 yards and 29 touchdown tosses to just five interceptions. He added two rushing touchdowns to account for 31 total scores on the season. He finished his career with a 31-15 overall record as a collegiate starting quarterback between four seasons at Ohio and one season at Indiana. Rourke amassed 10,693 yards passing and 79 touchdown passes to go along with 13 rushing scores. Rourke has appeared on early NFL Draft projections, but obviously this news could impact how early he is chosen. ESPN football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Rourke as the No. 6 quarterback prospect in the draft.