In-State Rivals Battle at Mackey Arena Tonight as Indiana University Men’s Basketball takes on #10 Purdue The State of Indiana will be focused on Mackey Arena Tonight as the Indiana Hoosiers and the #10 Purdue Boilermakers meet for the 220th time on the hardwood with the game televised on FOX. Purdue leads the All-Time series 127-92 and the Boilers swept the Season series a year ago. Purdue is 81-26 all time against Indiana in West Lafayette and the Hoosiers are looking for their first win at Mackey since February 25, 2023, when they beat Purdue 79-71.
Indiana is 14-7 and 5-5 in the Big Ten and have lost two in a row and four of their last five games. The Hoosiers dropped a heartbreaker at home to Maryland Sunday Afternoon 79-78. Rodney Rice hit a three pointer with 7 seconds left to give Maryland a one-point lead after there was a travel in the lane that was not called. The Hoosiers set up for one final play but there was confusion on who was supposed to handle the ball and taking out Oumar Ballo and Anthony Leal for Luke Goode and Mackenzie Mgbako led to a Myles Rice threw at the buzzer that fell short and wondered how Mike Woodson and his staff came that decision and why the changes were made at that moment.
Myles Rice took the blame after the game saying, ” That’s on me as point guard, I’ve got to make sure, no matter what lineup is in that we know what we are doing.” Indiana must turn its focus to a tough stretch here they play 3 ranked opponents all on the road plus a home game against Michigan in the next four games. Oumar Ballo leads the team with 14.5 points, 10,1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Malik Reneau is averaging 13.1 points, and Mackenzie Mgbako is averaging 12.5 points. Myles Rice averages 12.1 points and leads the team with 1.2 steals per game. Trey Galloway is leading the team with 4.1 assists and averaging 7.1 points per game.
Indiana is averaging 77.1 points and commits 12.2 turnovers per game. The Hoosiers shoot 46 percent from the field, 32 percent from the free throw line and 72 percent from the free throw line. The Hoosiers have five players from the State of Indiana with Trey Galloway-Culver Academies, Anthony Leal -Bloomington South, Langdon Hatton-North Harrison, Luke Goode-Homestead and Walk-On Ian Stephens-New Palestine. Head Coach Mike Woodson scored 2,061 points for the Hoosiers from 1976-1980 going 4-6 as player and was 0-4 in West Lafayette. As a coach Woodson is 3-3 against the Boilermakers and 1-2 in West Lafayette.
Purdue is 16-5 on the season and 8-2 in the Big Ten after dismantling Michigan 91-64 last Friday Night at home. Brayden Smith scored 24 points and dished out 10 assists. Fletcher Loyer added 18 points, Trey Kaufman-Renn added 15 and C.J Cox scored 14 as the Boilers scored 51 first half points and held Michigan to 26. Purdue outscored the Wolverines 40-38 in the second half. Trey Kaufman-Renn leads the team with 18.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Braden Smith is averaging 15.4 points, while leading the team with 8.9 points and 2.4 assists per game. Fletcher Loyer is averaging 14 points per game and Caleb Furst leads the team with 0.3 blocks per game.
Purdue is averaging 77.5 points and committing 10.8 turnovers per game. The Boilers shoot 49 percent from the field, 38 percent from three-point range and 72 percent from the free throw line. Purdue is 10-1 at home this season but when they lost to Ohio State 73-70 on January 21, which ended a 26-game home winning streak. Of the 18 players in the Boilermaker roster 11 are from Indiana with Ohio, Massachusetts, Georgia, Nebraska and Sweden represented. Head Coach Matt Painter played for Purdue from 1989-1993 and was 3-5 against the Hoosiers as a player with a 2-2 record in Mackey Arena. As a coach Painter is 20-12 against the Hoosiers and 12-4 at home.
Senior Caleb Furst played at Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian. Juniors Trey Kaufman-Renn-Silver Creek, Fletcher Loyer-Homestead, Braden Smith-Westfield along with Walk Ons Sam King -Columbus North and Bridan Waddell-Carmel. Sophomores Myles Colvin-Heritage Christian, Walk Ons Josh Furst-Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian and Jace Ryal-Kokomo. Freshman Jack Benter Brownstown Central and Walk on Aaron Fine of Noblesville. For these 16 players who represent the Cream and Crimson or the Black and Gold. This game is the biggest one in their entire college career. These guys have dreamed of this moment and this stage their whole lives and now the time and has come to showcase to the entire nation what basketball in state means and for all the players that are in the game that did not go up in the State of Indiana they are bought in that you beat your rival and you have the bragging rights.
Bloomington North hosts Boys Wrestling Sectional Saturday Morning The IHSAA Boys Wrestling State Tournament gets underway Saturday Morning with 32 sites and 302 teams competing on the to the State Finals February 21-22, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 11 teams will compete at Bloomington North starting at 9 AM as the top four Individuals in each weight class advance to the Regionals which will be held at Bloomington South beginning at 8 AM on Saturday February 8. Bloomington North, Bloomington South and Edgewood will be joined by Bedford North Lawrence, Brown County, Northview, Owen Valley, Sullivan, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South and West Vigo.
Terre Haute South won last year’s sectional with a 294. Bloomington South was second with 169. Bloomington North was fourth with 126 and Edgewood 6th with 114. There were five Sectional Champions representing Monroe County a year ago. Bloomington South’s Jaxsen Jean-106 and Evan Roudebush-165 Pounds. Edgewood’s John Orman-120 and Michael Neidiigh-150 Pounds and Bloomington North’s Cael Hickok at 157 Pounds.
WWE’s Royal Rumble hits Lucas Oli Stadium Saturday Night The road to WrestleMania begins in Indianapolis this weekend as the city gets ready to host WWE Royal Rumble on Saturday. It’s the first time Indianapolis is hosting the premium live event and is looking to be the “king of the ring.” Last year, Indiana Sports Corp announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with WWE. The eight-year deal guarantees Indy will host Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and SummerSlam. Royal Rumble is being held at Lucas Oil Stadium at 6 p.m. Tomorrow Night as more than 65,000 fans are expected to pack into the stadium to see their favorite WWE superstars. Royal Rumble is heralded as the company’s second biggest event, next to WrestleMania.
The best in the world will be in attendance, rivalries will come to bitter ends and new number one contenders will be named for the prestigious world championship titles. Tickets are still available. The cheapest seats are $160, and the most expensive tickets are around $3,000. Royal Rumble is one of WWE’s flagship events. It first debuted in 1988 and is considered to be the start of the road to WrestleMania. It is an “over-the-top” battle royale that includes 30 men and 30 women competing to be the last one standing. The order is random, so fans don’t know who is going to come out. A new wrestler will come out every 90 seconds, so the later you join the match, the better chance you have of winning. People are eliminated after being thrown over the top rope and both of their feet touch the floor. There are two matches — one for the men and one for the women. The last person standing in each Rumble wins and is guaranteed a world championship at WrestleMania, which is considered the Super Bowl for WWE.
According to Indiana Sports Corp, more than half of the fans coming to Royal Rumble are from out of state. It’s also been decades since Indianapolis has hosted a WWE premium live event, which means a brand new set of fans. “We have this really great opportunity to show what Indy does best, and that’s put on events,” said Dan Gliot, with Indiana Sports Corp. “We know that they are going to come back for years to come. So, we have this awesome opportunity to roll out the red carpet and really show everyone what Indy is all about.” The last time Indy hosted WrestleMania was in 1992.
Indiana University Football Cornerback Jamier Johnson enters the Transfer Portal Indiana loaded up at cornerback during the offseason via the transfer portal. That led to questions since both starters were ostensibly returning from the 2024 College Football Playoff team. Some degree of clarity arrived when Indiana updated their online roster on Wednesday. Cornerback Jamier Johnson is no longer listed as a member of the team. A senior from California, Johnson is no longer with the program, a source confirmed to The South-Central Indiana News Network
Johnson started the 12 games he was available in 2024 for the 11-2 Hoosiers. He had 35 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception. Johnson transferred to IU from Texas ahead of the 2023 season. He dealt with injuries and missed a substantial portion of the 2023 season with Indiana, playing just 77 snaps. Indiana added Pitt starting corner Ryland Gandy and Northern Illinois starter Amariyun Knighten via the transfer portal over the last two months. The Hoosiers also return Jamari Sharpe, who played in place of Johnson in the win over Purdue, and a significant portion of the Notre Dame game. Sharpe played in nine games and saw 234 snaps for the Hoosiers in 2024. All three of Gandy, Knighten and Sharpe appear to be the contenders to compete for the starting cornerback role opposite All-American D’Angelo Ponds. Redshirt freshmen Dontrae Henderson and Josh Philostin, and true freshmen Seaonta Stewart, Jaylen Bell, and Zacharey Smith will also compete for roles in 2025.
Indiana Fever Re-Sign All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell The Indiana Fever and guard Kelsey Mitchell have agreed to contract terms, cementing the return of the veteran All-Star. It will be Mitchell’s eighth WNBA season, all with the Fever. “Kelsey has been a foundation of our franchise for many years, and we are thrilled to see her return to the Fever,” said President of Basketball and Business Operations Kelly Krauskopf, who drafted Mitchell in 2018. “We value Kelsey’s commitment to our organization, and we’re excited to see her build off a phenomenal 2024, her best season yet. She is one of the best guards in this league and is a cornerstone to building a championship roster.”
Drafted No. 2 overall by the Fever, Mitchell is coming off a career-best 2024 season where she was featured in all 40 regular season games, starting all but two, and guiding the franchise to its first playoff appearance since 2016. Mitchell recorded individual single-season highs, averaging 19.2 points per game, shooting 46.8% from the field. Additionally, the Cincinnati native shot 40.2% from behind the three-point arc and tallied 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, respectively. “I’m thrilled that Kelsey is returning to Fever. She has been an integral part of this franchise from the moment she was drafted,” said Fever Head Coach Stephanie White. “I have watched her journey from the sideline since her time in college and have always admired her work ethic, approach to the game and the way she interacts with her teammates. I can’t wait to work with her on a daily basis.”
Since 2018, Mitchell has appeared in 235 of a possible 240 games, only missing five games during the 2022 season. In just seven seasons, she ranks No. 2 all-time in points scored (3,923), three-pointers made (558) and career minutes (7,085) for the Fever, and is No. 4 all-time for the team in assists (649). Mitchell led the Fever in scoring every season from 2019 to 2023. A product of Ohio State University, Mitchell was named a WNBA All-Star in both 2023 and 2024. She earned All-Rookie Team honors in 2018.
Brownsburg’s John Hart Named the 2024 NFL Don Shula High School Coach of the Year One central Indiana high school football coach is now getting national recognition! Brownsburg High School’s John Hart was named the AFC winner of the NFL’s 2024 Don Shula High School Coach of the Year Award, the NFL announced Wednesday. The league said they chose Hart based on “character, integrity, leadership, community service, commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.” He was chosen out of 16 AFC nominees. Hart will receive a $10,000 prize and a $15,000 grant for the Brownsburg football program. He will also be invited to the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando and Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, as well as have VIP access to events and practices. The Indianapolis Colts chose Hart in December 2024 to receive the “Coach of the Year” award. “I am thankful, humbled and honored to have been nominated by the Colts for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year,” Hart said. “I will be forever grateful to Brownsburg High School and the Brownsburg community for trusting, believing and supporting my staff as well as the past and present football players.
“I would like to thank the Indianapolis Colts for their continued support of promoting high school football in the state of Indiana,” Hart added. “Not too many years ago, Mr. Irsay, Coach Dungy, Peyton Manning and the entire Colts organization created an environment that has helped make high school football in Indiana more than just a game.” In the 2024 season, Hart became the first ever head coach in Indiana history to win a state championship at three different high schools. He took over the Brownsburg football program nine years ago and has led his team to an overall record of 82-19, with the most recent win bringing home the school’s first state championship in almost 40 years. “Coach Hart represents the qualities and values exemplified by Coach Shula, and we’re very proud a Hoosier football coach was selected among all AFC nominees to represent the Colts, his school and his community in front of the entire NFL world,” said Mike Prior, Colts legend and current Football Development Commissioner.