Sophomore Valentyna Kadlecova Leaves the Indiana University Women’s Basketball Team Valentyna Kadlecova started the first 10 games of the season for Indiana women’s basketball. But as of Monday, Kadlecova is no longer a Hoosier. The sophomore has left the program to return home to the Czech Republic to play professionally. “This was a decision Valentyna made with careful consideration,” IU head coach Teri Moren said in a statement, “and we wish her the best in her next chapter.” Kadlecova averaged 22.6 minutes per game through Indiana’s first 10 contests this season, as she started for a new-look Hoosier team. But her playing time was trending downwards, as she went over that average only once in her final four starts. The guard moved to the bench against Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday, with freshman Maya Makalusky taking her spot in the starting lineup. Kadlecova still played 14 minutes off the bench, scoring five points in the blowout victory. But she then wasn’t present for Indiana’s win over Eastern Michigan on Sunday — Moren, after the game, attributed her absence to “personal reasons.”
Kadlecova played sparingly last season as a freshman, after signing in August. She entered 11 games and played just 36 total minutes. This season, in 11 games, Kadlecova averaged 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 21.7 minutes. She shot 35.7 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. IU’s roster was already thin, even with Kadlecova available. Now, the team is down to 11 available players this season, with forward Sydney Fenn ruled out for the season. Incoming freshman Zoe Jackson is joining the program early in January, but she intends to redshirt, per a program spokesperson. And with Zania Socka-Nguemen likely out until after Christmas, the Hoosiers may have 10 or fewer players available currently. Their next game is Sunday against Western Carolina, and then they’re off until Monday, Dec. 29 against Minnesota.
Lamar Wilkerson Named Big Ten Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week Indiana redshirt senior guard Lamar Wilkerson was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday afternoon. Wilkerson shared the distinction with Nebraska junior forward Pryce Sandfort. The Sam Houston State transfer averaged 29.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in just 23.0 minutes per night as the Hoosiers split games against Penn State (113-72 on Dec. 9) and at Kentucky (60-72 on Dec. 13). He shot 63.6% (21-of-33) from the floor, 60.0% (12-of-20) from the 3-point line, and 83.3% (5-of-6) from the free throw line. Wilkerson opened the week with a career-high 44 points against Penn State, a Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall record, and a program-record 10 made 3-pointers. He added four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 24 minutes.
Per OptaSTATS, Wilkerson is the only Division I or NBA player in the last 30 seasons to score 40-plus points and make 10-plus 3-pointers in a game while playing less than 25 minutes. His scoring outburst marked the most by a Hoosier against a Big Ten opponent since Mike Woodson scored 48 points at Illinois on March 3, 1979, and the most in a Big Ten home game since Jimmy Rayl posted 44 points against Wisconsin on Feb. 12, 1962. He is the first Big Ten player since Luka Garza (44 on Dec. 6, 2019) to score at least 44 points in a single game. The school-record 10 made 3-pointers are the most by a Big Ten player since Jordan Bohannon (10) against Maryland on Feb. 10, 2022. He followed the historical outing with 15 points and two rebounds at Kentucky. Redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries claimed Co-Player of the Week honors on Nov. 10. The Indiana Hoosiers will be back in action at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 10 against Chicago State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Shay Ciezki and Maya Makalusky Sweep Big Ten Women’s Basketball Awards Indiana women’s basketball senior guard Shay Ciezki was named the Big Ten Player of the Week while freshman forward Maya Makalusky earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for their performances in wins over ULM and Eastern Michigan last week. Ciezki earns her second weekly honor this season and IU’s first multiple week award winner since Mackenzie Holmes in 2022-23. She averaged 28.0 points while shooting 61.8 percent from the floor, 66.7 percent from the 3-point line and was perfect from the free throw line (8-for-8) in wins over ULM and Eastern Michigan. The Buffalo, N.Y. native also added 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals. Ciezki notched her third 30-plus scoring game with her 31 points against ULM, going 12-for-17 from the floor and hit three 3-pointers while pulling down five rebounds. She followed up with a team-high 25-point performance against Eastern Michigan connecting on three 3-pointers again to go along with two steals, two assists and two rebounds.
Makalusky made her first career starts for the Hoosiers last week, putting up a season-high 22 points against ULM. The Hamilton Southeastern grad averaged 15.5 points on the week while shooting 57.9 percent from the floor and 52.9 percent from beyond-the-arc while adding 5.0 rebounds per game. Against ULM, Makalusky went 60 percent (6-for-10) from the 3-point line in the win, going 8-for-12 total from the field and pulling down four boards, three assists, two steals and a block in her first career start. She added three more triples (nine total points) to her resume with a team-high six rebounds versus Eastern Michigan. Indiana (10-2) resumes action on Dec. 21 when it hosts Western Carolina in the non-conference finale at 1 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Six Indiana University Football Payers earn Associated Press All American Honors Six IU football players earned AP All-American honors Monday. The headliner is quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was named to the first team, and was also named the AP national player of the year. Three Hoosiers made the second team: left tackle Carter Smith, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, and safety Louis Moore. And two more IU players made the third team: defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker, and linebacker Aiden Fisher. It’s the second straight year Ponds and Fisher earned All-American nods. Mendoza, Smith and Ponds also were named Walter Camp All-Americans on Friday. The AP All-America team was selected by a panel of 52 college Top 25 poll voters.
Here in their entirety are the AP All-American teams: First-Team Offense Wide receiver —Makai Lemon, Southern California, junior, 5-11, 195, Los Angeles. Wide receiver — Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, sophomore, 6-3, 223, Miami Gardens, Florida. Wide receiver — Skyler Bell, UConn, senior, 6-0, 185, New York, N.Y. Tackle — Francis Mauigoa, Miami, junior, 6-6, 335,Ili’ili, American Samoa. Tackle — Spencer Fano, Utah, junior, 6-6, 308, Spanish Fork, Utah. Guard — Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon, senior, 6-5, 318, Denver. Guard — Beau Stephens, Iowa, senior, 6-5, 315, Blue Springs, Missouri. Center — Logan Jones, Iowa, graduate, 6-3, 202, Council Bluffs, Iowa. Tight end — Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-4, 235, Denton, Texas. Quarterback — Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 225, Miami. Running back — Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame, junior, 6-0, 214, St. Louis. Running back — Ahmad Hardy, Missouri, sophomore, 5-10, 210, Oma, Mississippi. Kicker — Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii, senior, 6-2, 200, Tokyo. All-purpose — KC Concepcion, Texas A&M, junior, 5-11, 190, Charlotte, North Carolina.
First-team defense Edge rusher — David Bailey, Texas Tech, senior, 6-3, 250, Irvine, California. Edge rusher — Cashius Howell, Texas A&M, senior, 6-2, 248, Kansas City, Missouri. Interior lineman — Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 326, Suwanee, Georgia. Interior lineman — Landon Robinson, Navy, senior, 6-0, 287, Fairlawn, Ohio. Linebacker — Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, senior, 6-1, 235, Wichita Falls, Texas. Linebacker — Arvell Reese, Ohio State, junior, 6-4, 243, Cleveland. Linebacker — CJ Allen, Georgia, junior, 6-1, 235, Barnesville, Georgia. Cornerback — Leonard Moore, Notre Dame, sophomore, 6-2, 195, Round Rock, Texas. Cornerback — Mansoor Delane, LSU, senior, 6-0, 190, Silver Spring, Maryland. Safety — Caleb Downs, Ohio State, junior, 6-0, 205, Hoschton, Georgia. Safety — Bishop Fitzgerald, Southern California, senior, 5-11, 205, Woodbridge, Virginia. Defensive back — Jakari Foster, Louisiana Tech, senior, 6-0, 211, Piedmont, Alabama. Punter — Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky, senior, 6-1, 180, Mooresville, North Carolina.
Second-team offense Wide receiver — Carnell Tate, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 195, Chicago. Wide receiver — Malachi Toney, Miami, freshman, 5-11, 188, Liberty City, Florida. Wide receiver — Danny Scudero, San Jose State, sophomore, 5-9, 174, San Jose, California. Tackle — Kadyn Proctor, Alabama, junior, 6-7, 366, Des Moines, Iowa. Tackle — Carter Smith, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 313, Powell, Ohio. Guard — Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State, junior, 6-4, 323, Graham, Washington. Guard — Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M, graduate, 6-5, 325, Dallas. Center – Jake Slaughter, Florida, senior, 6-4, 303, Sparr, Florida. Tight end — Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon, junior, 6-3, 245, Idaho Falls, Idaho. Quarterback — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-0, 207, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Running back — Emmett Johnson, Nebraska, junior, 5-11, 200, Minneapolis. Running back — Kewan Lacy, Mississippi, sophomore, 5-11, 210, Dallas. Kicker — Tate Sandell, Oklahoma, junior, 5-9, 182, Port Neches, Texas. All-purpose — Wayne Knight, James Madison, junior, 5-7, 190, Smyrna, Delaware.
Second-team defense Edge rusher — Rueben Bain Jr., Miami, junior, 6-3, 270, Miami. Edge rusher — John Henry Daley, Utah, sophomore, 6-4, 255, Alpine, Utah. Interior lineman — A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Tech, junior, 6-3, 300, Houston. Interior lineman — Peter Woods, Clemson, junior, 6-3, 310, Alabaster, Alabama. Linebacker — Sonny Syles, Ohio State, senior, 6-5, 243, Pickerington, Ohio. Linebacker — Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, junior, 6-3, 238, Denton, Texas. Linebacker — Red Murdock, Buffalo, graduate, 6-1, 240, Petersburg, Virginia. Cornerback — D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana, junior, 5-9, 173, Miami. Cornerback — Chris Johnson, San Diego State, senior, 6-0, 195, Eastvale, California. Safety — Dillon Thieneman, Oregon, junior, 6-0, 205, Westfield, Indiana. Safety — Louis Moore, Indiana, senior, 5-11, 200, Mesquite, Texas. Defensive back — Hezekiah Masses, California, senior, 6-1, 185, Deerfield Beach, Florida. Punter — Brett Thorson, Georgia, senior, 6-2, 235, Melbourne, Australia.
Third-team offense Wide receiver — Eric McAlister, TCU, senior, 6-3, 205, Azle, Texas. Wide receiver — Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee, junior, 6-5, 200, Midland, Texas. Wide receiver — Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, junior, 6-2, 200, Allen, Texas. Tackle — Keagen Trost, Missouri, graduate, 6-4, 316, Kankakee, Illinois. Tackle — Brian Parker II, Duke, junior, 6-5, 305, Cincinnati. Guard — Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Royston, Georgia. Guard — Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati, sophomore, 6-3, 320, Dayton, Ohio. Center — Iapani Laloulu, Oregon, junior, 6-2, 329, Honolulu. Tight end — Michael Trigg, Baylor, senior, 6-4, 240, Tampa, Florida. Quarterback — Julian Sayin, Ohio State, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 208, Carlsbad, California. Running back — Cam Cook, Jacksonville State, junior, 5-11, 200, Round Rock, Texas. Running back — Kaytron Allen, Penn State, senior, 5-11, 219, Norfolk, Virginia. Kicker — Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech, junior, 6-1, 205, Kennedale, Texas. All-purpose — Jadarian Price, Notre Dame, junior, 5-11, 210, Denison, Texas.
Third-team defense Edge rusher — Caden Curry, Ohio State, senior, 6-3, 260, Greenwood, Indiana. Edge rusher — Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan, senior, 6-3, 250, New York. Interior lineman — Tyrique Tucker, Indiana, junior, 6-0, 302, Norfolk, Virginia. Interior lineman — Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Mobile, Alabama. Linebacker — Aiden Fisher, Indiana, senior, 6-1, 231, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Linebacker — Caden Fordham, North Carolina State, graduate, 6-1, 230, Ponte Vedra, Florida. Linebacker — Owen Long, Colorado State, sophomore, 6-2, 230, Whittier, California. Cornerback — Avieon Terrell, Clemson, junior, 5-11, 180, Atlanta. Cornerback — Treydan Stukes, Arizona, senior, 6-2, 200, Litchfield Park, Arizona. Safety — Michael Taaffe, Texas, senior, 6-0, 189, Austin, Texas. Safety — Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, senior, 6-2, 202, Tampa, Florida. Defensive back — Bray Hubbard, Alabama, junior, 6-2, 213, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Punter — Ryan Eckley, Michigan State, junior, 6-2, 207, Lithia, Florida.
Indiana University Football featured on 60 Minutes The Indiana football team was featured on an episode of CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday. The IU football team was the subject of one of the program’s three main stories. The story was covered by Bloomington Native Jon Wertheim who Graduated from Bloomington High School North in 1988. The “60 Minutes” story on the Indiana football team featured interviews with head coach Curt Cignetti, quarterback Fernando Mendoza and musician John Mellencamp. “60 Minutes” spotlighted the Hoosiers’ historic season.
Indiana’s list of achievements this season includes a 12-0 record regular season record, a Big Ten Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Indiana claimed its first conference title since 1967 with a 13-10 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. The Hoosiers’ 12-0 record also marked the program’s first perfect regular season campaign. The closest Indiana ever came to an unbeaten season prior to this year was in 1945, when the Hoosiers went 9-0-1. In addition to the team accolades, the Hoosiers’ quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday. The Heisman Trophy is an annual honor bestowed upon the best player in all of college football.
Cignetti was also named the Walter Camp National Coach of the Year last week. He’s won the award in back-to-back seasons. Indiana’s football program has changed greatly under Cignetti’s leadership. In his first season as the Hoosiers’ coach, Indiana went 11-2 and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff. Before Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, Indiana had only had three winning seasons since 1995. The Hoosiers are the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s College Football Playoff. They earned a first-round bye with their seed. Indiana will play the winner of a first-round game between eighth-seeded Oklahoma and ninth-seeded Alabama in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. A replay of the “60 Minutes” story on the Indiana football team will soon be available on CBS.com.
Indiana University Football Signs 22 in the Class of 2026 during the Early Signing Period All 22 players Indiana expected to sign in the IU football high school recruiting class of 2026 are on board. On the morning of the first day of the early signing period, the Hoosiers have announced all 22 additions to the class. As of Wednesday morning, the class is ranked No. 30 nationally and No. 9 in the Big Ten at both Rivals and 247Sports. Obviously, those are fluid rankings but do provide a directional indication of where the class stands relative to the competition. The class appears to be IU’s second highest-rated class in the ranking’s era after the class of 2022. Of the 22, 19 will enroll for the spring semester and participate in spring practice. In all, IU signed 10 players on offense and 12 on defense.
Here is more background on Indiana’s 2026 class: Star Ratings- 4-stars: 4 ,3-stars: 18 States-Missouri: 1, Indiana: 7, Ohio: 3, Illinois: 2, Florida: 2, Maryland: 2, Wisconsin: 2, Georgia: 2 and Kentucky: 1 Positions-Cornerback: 1, Defensive line: 6, Offensive line: 4, Linebacker: 3, Tight end: 3, Wide receiver: 2, Safety: 2 and Running back: 1
- Gabe Hill, Naperville, Illinois, DT (4-star)
- Henry Ohlinger, Columbus, Ohio, LB (4-star)
- Kevontay Hugan, Sarasota, Florida, Edge (4-star)
- Cameron McHaney, Indianapolis, Indiana, DT (4-star)
- Ronelle Johnson, Blue Springs, Missouri, DE (3-star)
- Ja’Dyn Williams, Massillon, Ohio, LB (3-star)
- Parker Elmore, Columbus, Indiana, TE (3-star)
- Kasmir Hicks, Indianapolis, Indiana, CB (3-star)
- Trevor Gibbs, Crown Point, Indiana, TE (3-star)
- Lavar Keys, Landover, Maryland, WR (3-star)
- Ben Novak, Merrillville, Indiana, OL (3-star)
- P.J. MacFarlane, Liberty Township, Ohio, TE (3-star)
- Sam Simpson, River Falls, Wisconsin, IOL (3-star)
- Jacob Savage, Union, Kentucky, LB (3-star)
- D’Montae Tims, Tampa, Florida, S (3-star)
- Jamar Owens, Douglasville, Georgia, S (3-star)
- Blake Smythe, Franklin, Indiana, DL (3-star)
- Jayreon Campbell, Powder Springs, Georgia, RB (3-star)
- Kenton Mondeau, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, OT (3-star)
- Kortez Rupert, East St. Louis, Illinois, WR (3-star)
- Rodney White, Towson, Maryland, DL (3-star)
- CJ Scifres, Greenwood, Indiana, OL (3-star)