Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Player Kel’el Ware Named NBA All-Rookie Second Team Indiana men’s basketball alumnus Kel’el Ware was voted to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon. Ware, the 15th pick in the 2024 first round pick by the Miami Heat, made 36 starts across 64 appearances in his rookie season. He averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocked shots in 22.2 minutes per game. He shot 55.4% from the floor. He hit double figures in the scoring column 26 times and topped 20 points on four occasions. He added 23 games with at least 10 rebounds and 19 nights with multiple blocks. Ware posted 15 double-doubles.
During his lone season in Bloomington, Ware was named All-Big Ten Second Team (Media), All-Big Ten Third Team (Coaches), and Big Ten All-Defensive Team. He led the Hoosiers in scoring (15.9 points per game), rebounding (9.9), blocked shots (1.9), and field goal percentage (58.6%). The North Little Rock, Ark., native was one of two Big Ten players (Zach Edey; Purdue) to average at least 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and one of three Indiana players in the last 25 seasons to average at least 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in a season. He posted 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocked shots per game in Big Ten Conference play. Ware is the ninth former Hoosier to be named to the All-NBA Rookie team. He joins Dick Van Arsdale (1965-66), Tom Van Arsdale (1965-66), Scott May (1976-77), Isiah Thomas (1981-82), Eric Gordon (2008-09), Victor Oladipo (2013-14), Cody Zeller (2013-14), and Kevin ‘Yogi’ Ferrell (2016-17).
Jake Hanley Named Big Ten Baseball Freshman of the Year From the moment he stepped in the box this season, it was his award to lose. The best freshman in the entire league resided in Bloomington in 2025. And his name is Jake Hanley. The 6-foot-6 first baseman became the fourth player in program history to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The conference office announced its postseason awards ahead of the start of the Big Ten Tournament on Tuesday afternoon. In total, seven Hoosiers earned at least one yearly honor from the league. Hanley was the cornerstone of head coach Jeff Mercer’s 2024 recruiting class – and yet – he still exceeded expectations. The Mason, Ohio native started all 54 games of the regular season at first base and worked his way into the cleanup spot by the end of the season. He was one of two players (Korbyn Dickerson) to start every game.
He began his career on a 10-game hitting streak and never stopped hitting from there. Hanley finished the regular season by leading all league freshmen in batting average (.338), hits (71), home runs (14), and RBIs (52). He scored 48 runs and compiled nine doubles and a triple. On top of his offensive prowess, Hanley became an elite defender over at first base. After taking over for three-year starter Brock Tibbitts, he assumed the starting role without any problems. The freshman went errorless in over 400 chances and finished the 54-game regular season with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Hanley’s batting average dipped below .300 just twice all season – both on opening weekend. Following the first series out in Arizona, he never dropped under .308 the rest of the year. Hanley peaked at .411 in the middle of March and even had his batting average over .400 through the first Big Ten series in April.
The power began to come for Hanley late in the season. He hit his first home run on March 14th (vs. Ohio State) and finished the year with three multi-home run games. In conference action alone, he hit .331 with nine home runs, five doubles and 29 RBIs. He had hits in 39 of 54 games – 21 of those being multi-hit efforts. He is the fourth IU player to win the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award and second under Mercer. He joins Alex Dickerson (2009), Sam Travis (2012) and teammate Devin Taylor (2023) as the winners of the honor. The first two players went on to play in the big leagues and Taylor is a likely top 40 draft pick this summer. Hanley was also named a Second Team All-Big Ten selection and a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
Eight Indiana University Baseball Players take home Big Ten Awards As 12 teams begin the journey through the Big Ten Tournament; the conference office announced its postseason awards on Tuesday afternoon. In total, seven Hoosiers were honored by the league, led by Big Ten Freshman of the Year – Jake Hanley. Junior outfielder Devin Taylor was named First Team All-Big Ten for the third time in his career, becoming the first IU player since Mickey Morandini (1986-88) to accomplish the feat. The Cincinnati, Ohio native hit .366 with 16 home runs and a career high 60 RBIs. He had 75 hits and finished top three in the Big Ten with 51 walks. The likely first round draft pick in next year’s MLB Draft never failed to make the All-Big Ten First Team and is one of just three players in program history to do it three times. He was recently named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and is on his way to repeating as an All-American in 2025.
Taylor is joined by his teammate – redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson – as a First Team All-Big Ten outfielder. The transfer from Louisville was a revelation for the Hoosiers in his first season in Bloomington. Dickerson led the Big Ten with 77 RBIs and contributed 19 home runs and 76 hits. He is just the sixth player in program history to record 75 RBIs in a season and sits fifth all-time in IU single season history. Dickerson is one home run from becoming the sixth player for the Hoosiers to hit 20 home runs in one campaign. Taylor became the fifth player to do it when he hit 20 home runs last year in 2024. Dickerson was selected to the Big Ten’s first-ever All-Defensive Team, which was introduced in 2025 and voted on by the coaches. As a true center fielder, Dickerson made his own highlight reel with diving catches. He fielded at a .983 clip with just two errors on the entire year.
Hanley – the Big Ten Freshman of the Year – was also a Second Team All-Big Ten selection. The young freshman hit 14 home runs and drove in 52 runs while starting all 54 games this year for the Hoosiers. He is the fourth player in IU history to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the second under head coach Jeff Mercer. The Mason, Ohio native led all freshmen in the Big Ten in batting average (.338), hits (71), home runs (14) and RBIs (52). He also became a defensive star after taking over the first base position. He failed to commit an error through the whole season in over 400 chances. He was joined on the All-Big Ten Second Team by starting pitcher Cole Gilley. The transfer arm became one of the most reliable arms in recent memory with his calm demeanor on the mound and his solid four-pitch mix. Gilley won nine games in the regular season – the first IU pitcher with at least nine wins in a season since Kyle Hart (10 – 2016). Gilley had the second best strikeout-to-walk ratio (73-18) in the Big Ten among pitchers with at least 70 strikeouts. He tied graduate student Ben Grable for the team lead (11) in starts this year. He allowed opposing batters to hit just .214 this year and gave up just 27 earned runs in over 62 innings of action.
The Hoosiers were one of two teams in the conference (Rutgers) with three selections to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2025. Hanley was joined by fellow infielders Cooper Malamazian (SS) and Will Moore (3B) as three of the best 14 freshmen in the entire conference. IU combined to win six of the 14 Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards handed out this year. IU’s honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award was redshirt junior reliever Grant Holderfield. The veteran pitcher graduated from IU this month and has thrown in 50 games during his time with the Hoosiers. After undergoing season-ending surgery in 2023, Holderfield continued to be a light in the dugout and has pitched big innings for IU during his career.
2025 Big Ten Postseason Awards – Indiana
Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Jake Hanley (1B)
First Team All-Big Ten: Devin Taylor (OF), Korbyn Dickerson (OF)
Second Team All-Big Ten: Cole Gilley (SP), Jake Hanley (At-Large)
All-Defensive Team: Korbyn Dickerson (OF)
All-Freshman Team: Jake Hanley (1B), Cooper Malamazian (SS), Will Moore (3B)
Sportsmanship Award: Grant Holderfield (RP)
Josef Newgarden and Will Power will start at the Back of the Field for the Indianapolis 500 due to Rules Violations Two Team Penske drivers have been moved to the back of the Indianapolis 500 field after their cars failed inspection during Sunday’s qualifying. According to IndyCar, rides for Josef Newgarden and Will Power will be moved to the 32nd and 33rd positions for this year’s race. The league said the issue involved modified attenuators that violated IndyCar rules. “The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount, and this violation of the IndyCar rule against modification to this part and using it ‘as supplied’ is clear,” IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement. “The penalty should be more than simply starting where the cars might have qualified anyway, if given the opportunity. The cars belong in the field as two of the fastest 33; however, starting on the tail of the field is the appropriate penalty in this instance.”
Both cars failed inspection during Top 12 Qualifying and were unable to make a run for pole position in the Firestone Fast 6 on Sunday night. Newgarden (2023 and 2024) and Power (2018) are both former Indianapolis 500 winners. Newgarden is seeking his third consecutive 500 win. Fellow Penske driver Scott McLaughlin crashed during practice. He was unable to make a run during Top 12 qualifying. The No. 3 car will start in the 10th spot, as his car was using a “legal and unmodified attenuator,” the league said. IndyCar is suspending the team strategists for the Nos. 2 and 12 for the remainder of the Indianapolis 500. Both cars will forfeit qualification points, and each entry has been fined $100,000.
“We accept the penalties issued today by the INDYCAR Series which are due to a ‘Body Fit’ violation that occurred prior to the qualifying session yesterday,” Team Penske said in a statement on Monday. “We are disappointed by the results and the impact it has on our organization. We will make further announcements later this week related to personnel for the upcoming Indianapolis 500.” The cars for Newgarden and Power will also surrender their pit boxes after the field is adjusted. As the news came down Monday morning, fans were returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the final day of practice before Carb Day on Friday. ”As long as I have been a fan, one of the sayings is ‘Penske Perfect’ and this isn’t perfect,” said Tracy, an Indy 500 fan from Minnesota. “Whether this one is intentional or not, they should have known better.”
Fans we talked to say the integrity of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing should be protected.” If they got caught cheating, that’s what they should be,” said Dave, another Indy 500 fan at Monday practice. “That’s how I feel about that. Let’s be straight, that’s why we got all these technical directors.” The penalty will make it more difficult for Will Power to go for his second Indy 500 win and for Josef Newgarden to make history. Newgarden is trying to win his third straight Indianapolis 500. ”It’ll definitely hurt him,” said Indy 500 fan Rob Meredith. “Jeez, you’re starting all the way from the back? That makes a difference.” The 109th Indianapolis 500 is off to a historic start. The race is expected to be the second-ever grandstand sellout with a crowd of 350,000. On top of that, rookie driver Robert Schwartzman is the first rookie to win the pole in more than 40 years. Fans said the distractions from the Penske penalties aren’t changing how they feel going into the greatest spectacle in racing. ”I’m just as excited this year as I was last year and the year before,” said Tracy. ”I always love to come here,” said Indy 500 fan Bob Skorjanc. “This is the greatest thing there is.”
Hogan Denny named Big Ten Baseball Freshman of the Week After helping the Indiana Baseball team to a series victory over Michigan, freshman designated hitter Hogan Denny picked up the conference’s final Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, as announced on Monday evening. Denny slashed .455/.538/.636 in the series win over Michigan, collecting five hits in the three-game set. He delivered multi-hit games in wins on Thursday and Friday and also scored two runs with two RBIs. Denny and his fellow freshmen, first baseman Jake Hanley and third baseman Will Moore, combined for 12 hits over the weekend. It has been an outstanding regular season for IU’s true freshman class. The Hoosiers combined to win six of the 13 Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards handed out this season. Denny and Hanley each one two of them while Moore and shortstop Cooper Malamazian each won one. Denny, the Mooresville, Indiana native, wrapped up the regular season with 38 hits and a .288 batting average. He had six home runs and 24 RBIs and is one of two players (Hanley) to win multiple weekly freshmen awards this season from the Big Ten.
Indy Ignite Head Coach George Padjen Steps Down after an Historic First Season After a championship finish for the Indy Ignite in their inaugural season, the face of the team will look different for the 2026 season. In an announcement made Monday the Ignite said that George Padjen resigned last week and his resignation will take effect “immediately.” The reason? More time with the family. “It’s been an unforgettable inaugural season with the Indy Ignite, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a special community here in Fishers and Indianapolis,” Padjen said. “While I have loved coaching in Indy, it’s time for me to spend more time with my family.”
Ignite President and General Manager Mary Kay Huse said she is grateful for Padjen’s contributions to the Ignite’s successful first season. “We are grateful for his leadership in helping to recruit a fantastic roster and taking us to the PVF Championship in year one,” Huse said. “We wish him all the best moving forward.” Now, the search is on for a new head coach. Huse said she is going to work with the Ignite’s ownership group, coaches and players to find the next coach. “We are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success for our players, our fans and our city,” Huse said. “We take this commitment seriously as we begin our search for a new head coach.” The Ignite finished their 2025 season as runner-up to the Orlando Valkyries in the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship.