Today’s Local Sports Headlines are brought to us by . . .
6th ranked Indiana Women’s Basketball welcomes 2nd ranked NC State to town
The 6th Ranked Indiana Women’s Basketball will be in the national spotlight this evening when they welcome the Number 2 team in the nation the NC State Wolfpack to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for a 7pm tipoff on ESPN2. This is part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge as the Hoosiers are 8-5 all time in the event and post a 3-3 record at home. This will be the second time these two teams have meet in this event as the Wolfpack beat the Hoosiers 84-70 in Raleigh North Carolina in 2017.
In last season’s Sweet 16 matchup on March 27th, 4th seed Indiana beat the top seed Wolfpack 73-70 at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio Texas. Ali Patberg led the Hoosiers with 17 points in that game as the Hoosiers were playing in the first sweet 16 in school history and fell to national runner up Arizona in the elite 8. NC State Leads the all-time series with the Hoosiers 4-1 and will be making its second trip to Bloomington all time with the first coming November 23, 2001 when the Wolfpack beat the Hoosiers 50-44.
Indiana 5-1 on the season and coming off of a trip to the Bahamas where it split games with then No. 7/5 Stanford and Miami (FL) at the Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau. Patberg paced the Hoosiers, averaging 16.0 points and went 47.8 percent from the field and 80 percent at the line in the event. Junior forward Mackenzie Holmes leads the way for IU through six games, averaging a team-high 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. All five starters are also averaging double figures including 13.8 points per game each from Patberg and senior guard Grace Berger. Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren is 153-81 in her 8th year at IU and is 352-211 in 19 years overall.
NC State is 6-1 on the season and went 2-0 in the Pink Flamingo Challenge with double-digit wins over Maryland and Washington State. They are led by senior center and preseason ACC Player of the Year Elisa Cunane (14.4 ppg., 7.4 rgp.) and Maryland transfer guard Diamond Johnson (13.3 ppg., 3.1 apg.). The Wolfpack are averaging 80.3 points per game and shooting 48.6 percent from the floor. Wes Moore is in his 9th season as head coach at NC State and is 196-66 and 754-233 in 33 seasons overall.
Indiana assistant Coach Ashley Williams played for Wes Moore at NC State from 2013-2017 and began her career as walk on before earning a scholarship. Williams graduated with 3.9 GPA in Industrial Engineering and is a Cary, North Carolina Native. Williams has her master’s degree from IU in Athletic Administration and was graduate manager with the Hoosiers from 2017-19. She was an assistant coach at Furman for the 2019-20 season before she returned to Bloomington where she is in her second year as an assistant coach.
Indiana Football’s Peyton Hendershot named third team All-Big Ten
Indiana Football redshirt senior tight end Peyton Hendershot was named third-team All-Big Ten for the third-straight season, the conference announced on Wednesday afternoon. Senior wide receiver Ty Fryfogle and junior offensive lineman Matthew Bedford earned honorable-mention recognition. Redshirt senior linebacker Thomas Allen was the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Hendershot is IU’s career tight ends leader with 136 receptions and 1,479 yards. He ranks second with 14 touchdowns. The North Salem, Ind., native led the Hoosiers in 2021 with 46 catches, 543 yards, and four TDs. Hendershot finished second among Big tight ends in receptions (11th nationally), yardage (15th), and scores (T-26th).
Fryfogle finished the season with 46 catches for 512 yards and one touchdown. The Lucedale, Miss., native closed out his career sixth on IU’s career receptions (158) and yardage (2,231) lists, and tied for 10th in receiving TDs (14).
Bedford started all 12 games at three different positions. He made eight starts at right guard, three at left guard, and one at right tackle.
Cal Hoskins commits to Indiana Men’s Golf
Indiana men’s golf head coach Mike Mayer announced the addition of in-state signee Cal Hoskins to the program on Wednesday. “Cal brings a wealth of experience, ability and passion to our program,” Mayer said in Press Release. “He has successfully competed in numerous tournaments throughout the country with wins on three different junior golf circuits. We expect him to come in and make an immediate impact to our program. We are thrilled that Cal, and his extraordinary family, will be joining our Hoosier program.”
Hoskins is from Warsaw Indiana and a five-time tournament winner for head coach Jack Carpenter at Warsaw Community High School. He holds the career freshman scoring record for the Tigers and has posted a career scoring average of 73.0. During his high school career, he has led Warsaw to two conference titles, two sectional wins and an IHSAA State Tournament appearance. He is a three-year letter winner and a two-time team MVP for the Tigers.
He has won twice this this year on the Florida Junior Tour (FJT), garnering wins at PGA National (69-71) in January and the Country Club of the Everglades (70-66) in September. Other 2021 highlights include a third-place finish in the American Junior Golf Association D.A. Points Junior Open (67-69-72) and a runner-up finish in the Northern Junior Masters (73-70). Hoskins is also a four-time Indiana Golf Association Junior golf champion and has won one event on the Golfweek Junior Tour.
Indiana Fever add IUPUI legend Carlos Knox to coaching staff
The Indiana Fever announced Wednesday one of the greatest players in IUPUI men’s basketball history – and a former Fever Player Development Coach – Carlos Knox, has been named assistant coach.
Knox, who also played with the Indiana Pacers during the 1998-99 season, as well as eight years in Croatia, Germany, Venezuela, and Italy, spent three seasons as a Player Development Coach from 2014-16 on the Fever sidelines. His preeminent track record of developing NBA and WNBA talent includes current VP of Basketball Operations and General Manager, Tamika Catchings.
“We are excited to welcome Carlos back to the Fever family. He has a wealth of experience on both the college and professional levels that will be an invaluable asset to our coaching staff,” Fever Head Coach Marianne Stanley said in press release. “His track record in helping players develop their skills to maximize their full potential will be a great benefit to our team.”
The Dayton, Ohio native brings two decades worth of coaching experience to Coach Stanley’s coaching staff, which most recently includes serving as an assistant coach on the University of Cincinnati women’s basketball coaching staff for two seasons.
Prior to his arrival at Cincinnati, Knox worked as an assistant coach with the University of North Texas women’s program from 2017-20 and San Diego State in 2011. After returning to his alma mater ahead of the 2001-02 campaign for his first coaching stint, Knox served as an assistant men’s basketball coach.
“I am very excited to return to the Fever family and to a city that embraces basketball at the highest level as much as Indianapolis does,” Knox said. In Press Release “The excitement that surrounds our franchise is second to none and I can’t wait to get to work.”
While playing at IUPUI from 1994-98, Knox became the most prolific men’s basketball player in IUPUI history. Knox earned multiple All-American honors; led the country in scoring twice; and owns all major program scoring records, as well as career records in steals, 3-point field goals attempted, free throws made and free throws attempted. His No. 34 jersey was retired on his final collegiate game. One of the most unique ties to Indianapolis for Knox was establishing the Knox Indy Pro Am League, which began in 2009. Knox returns to Indianapolis with his wife, Michelle, and children.
For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here!