Local Sports Headlines: June 7, 2022

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Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Player and Bloomington native Jordan Hulls ends pro-basketball career
Jordan Hulls’ professional basketball career came to a close on Sunday as his German Team MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg lost to Alba Berlin 73-67 in the semifinals of the BBL Playoffs. Hulls scored four points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists in his final game. Despite scoring 26 points and connecting on 6-of-9 attempts from 3 in game one of this series, it wasn’t enough for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg to advance in the playoffs. Hulls averaged 10.5 points, four assists, and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from 3 and 92.3% from the free throw line this season. Hulls played two seasons for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg and clearly made an impact on the team and community that went beyond the court.

After four seasons at Indiana University where Hulls averaged 10 points and shot 44 percent from 3 across his collegiate career, he played nine seasons of professional basketball overseas in Poland, Kosovo, Belgium and most recently, Germany. He played on five different teams and scored a career-high 15.5 points per game during the 2017-2018 season for Eisbaren Bremerhaven in Germany. That year, Hulls shot 51.8 percent from 3 and 94.5 percent from the free throw line.  Over the course of his professional career overseas, Hulls played 235 games. He scored a career-high 31 points in 2015 as a member of Limburg United and again in 2018 for Eisbaren Bremerhaven. Hulls set his career-high for 3-pointers made in a game with eight when Indiana defeated Northwestern in 2010, and he tied this personal record again in 2019 playing for S.Oliver Wurzburg.

But now it’s time for Hulls to make a transition in his basketball career from player to a member of Indiana’s coaching staff. Hulls, along with his wife and three kids, will return to his hometown of Bloomington to join Mike Woodson’s staff as Indiana’s recruiting coordinator.  A graduate of Bloomington South High School, Hulls was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2009. He also won Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year in 2009 after leading the Panthers to a 26-0 record and Class 4A state championship. He played four seasons at Indiana from 2009 to 2013 under former head coach Tom Crean. As a senior, he helped the Hoosiers win the 2013 Big Ten regular season title and earn a No. 1 ranking on 10 of 20 AP polls.

Hulls’ name is found all over the Indiana record books: 30th in scoring with 1,318 points, fourth in career three-point field goal percentage a 44.1 percent and third in career free throw percentage at 85.9 percent. He also made an Indiana and Big Ten record 58-straight free throws over two seasons in 2010 and 2011. And by the time he graduated, Hulls’ 135 games played rank second among Hoosiers.

Indiana University Men’s Basketball to host multi-team event in November
Three more non-conference opponents for Indiana’s 2022-23 schedule are now known. According to Jeff Goodman, the Hoosiers will host Miami Ohio, Little Rock and Jackson State at Assembly Hall. All three opponents will be a part of Indiana’s exempt multi-team event (MTE) for next season. The Hoosiers will host Miami Ohio tentatively on Nov. 20, Little Rock on Nov. 23 and Jackson State on Nov. 25, per source. Indiana’s other three known non-conference games for next season are Arizona on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas, Kansas on Dec. 17 in Lawrence and Kennesaw State on Dec. 23 in Bloomington.

Miami Ohio finished 266th nationally in the final Ken Pomeroy ratings for last season. Jackson State was 277th and Little Rock was 328th. Miami Ohio is a member of the MAC, Jackson State is in the SWAC and Little Rock is in the Sun Belt. In Bart Torvik’s preseason ratings for next season, Miami Ohio is 332nd, Jackson State is 192nd and Little Rock is 270th.

Former Indiana University Football Players Vaughn Dunbar and Antwaan Randle-El on ballott for College Football Hall of Fame
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced on Monday the names for the 2023 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, which includes a pair of Indiana All-Americans in running back Vaughn Dunbar (1990-91) and quarterback Antwaan Randle El (1998-01).
 
Dunbar was a unanimous first-team All-American in 1991 when he led the nation in rushing (1,805) and finished sixth in Heisman voting. The running back was a first-team All-Big Ten selection that season when he led the conference with 150.4 yards per game. He posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and finished his career No. 3 on the career rushing charts at IU with 3,029 yards, a total that currently sits No. 7 all-time in program history. Dunbar led the Hoosiers to a pair of bowl appearances and rushed for a total of 197 yards in the 1990 Peach Bowl and 1991 Copper Bowl. In a 24-0 victory over Baylor Copper Bowl, Dunbar totaled 106 rushing yards and one touchdown to earn MVP honors at Arizona Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
 
One of the most dynamic offensive performers in college football history, Randle El was the first quarterback to ever claim the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in a career, earning the top rookie award in 1998 and player of the year accolades in 2001. A 2001 first-team All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of American, he finished 6th in Heisman Trophy balloting in 2001, after finishing 13th in 2000. Randle El was the first player in NCAA history to score 40 touchdowns (45) and throw for 40 touchdowns (42) in a career, first to record over 2,500 yards of total offense in four seasons, first to pass for over 6,000 yards and rush for over 3,000 yards in a career. He remains the IU career total offense leader (11,364), more than 3,000 yards ahead of second place, and continues to rank No. 2 on the career passing yardage (7,469), rushing yardage (3,895) and touchdowns (45) charts.
The Thompson-Randle El Award, given to the Big Ten’s best freshman football student-athlete, is named in his honor. A tremendous all-around athlete, while at Indiana Randle El also played on the men’s basketball and baseball teams. He played in the NFL for 10 years with Pittsburgh and Washington and was a member of the winning Super Bowl team in Pittsburgh in 2005. 
 
Indiana already has six members of the program enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, with Anthony Thompson the most recent selection in 2007. Alvin “Bo” McMillin (elected 1951), Pete Philos (1966), Zora Clevenger (1968), George Taliaferro (1981) and John Tavener (1990) are also among the less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have played the game during the past 152 years to earn the distinction.
 
The announcement of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2023, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2023, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2023 season.

Indiana University Wrestler Nick Willham earns All-America Honors at USA U-23 World Team Trials
Indiana University wrestler Nick Willham had a standout weekend at the 2022 U23 USA Wrestling World Team Trials at the Spire Institute in Geneva Ohio. The senior wrestled in the U23 age group as part of the Freestyle Division where he earned sixth place in the 92 kg weight class. The top-eight finish earned him All-America honors. Willham went through a difficult slew of competition to finish an All-American. In his four wins, he beat four opponents who had a 43-33 combined record in the 2021-2022 NCAA Wrestling season.
 
The senior grappler cruised through his first two matches. He beat Mason McCready of Bucknell and Nikolas Miller of Hofstra without surrendering a point, while scoring 16 of his own. He defeated Christian Knop of North Carolina State, who held a 10-2 record this past college season, in a close 3-1 decision in the round of 16. To make the semi-finals, Willham took care of Michigan’s Robert Striggow via a 7-1 win. He lost to Jacob Cardenas in the Semifinals 5-1, Jack Davis in the Consolation 2-0 and Austin Cooley in 5th place match 6-2.

Indiana had nine other wrestlers compete in the U23 Freestyle Division over the weekend.
65 kg: Nico Bolivar (3-2), Cayden Rooks (3-2) and Luke Buaghman (0-2)
70 kgGraham Rooks (3-2)
74 kg: Derek Gilcher (2-2) 79 kg: Nick South (2-2), Drayton Harris (1-2), Isiah Levitz (0-2)
92 kg: Nick Willham 6th place (4-3)
125 kg: Jacob Bullock (3-2)


 
Indianapolis Indians Coverage

Indians Host Columbus in Six-Game Series Starting Tonight

The Indianapolis Indians return home to Victory Field This evening as they host the Columbus Clippers to start a six-game series. The Indians and Clippers will play tonight at 7:05pm this evening and Thursday through Saturday. The teams will play Wednesday and Sunday Afternoon at 1:35pm. Indianapolis is 26-26 while Columbus is 33-21 on the season.

Thier are promotions all week long at Victory Field. Tonight, is Dollar Menu Night, Tomorrow the Wednesday Day Game, Thursday is Bark in Park and Thirsty Thursday presented by Sun King Brewery, Friday is Fireworks Night, Saturday is Negro Leagues Night and Sunday is Kids Eat Free and Knothole Kids Club Giveaway. Character appearances are back with PJ Masks™! as Gates open at 12:30pm so be sure to arrive early and stop by the Center Field Plaza before and during the game for meet-and-greets and photo opportunities with Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko.

For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here