Mackenize Holmes & Yarden Garzon sweep Big Ten player of the week awards
Indiana senior forward Mackenzie Holmes was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and freshman guard Yarden Garzon picked up her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for their performances against Auburn and Memphis at the Las Vegas Invitational. The duo is the first IU pair to sweep the weekly awards since the start of the freshman of the week award was given starting in 2009-10. Holmes first player of the week since Grace Berger (Feb. 14, 2022) and Garzon is the first freshman of the week since Mackenzie Holmes (Jan. 20, 2020).
Holmes averaged 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shot 88% from the floor in a pair of wins for #6 IU. She led with a team-high 26 points against Auburn on a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor, tying her own school record in field goal percentage. The Gorham, Maine native was also flawless from the free throw line, going 6-for-6. Holmes also added three steals and two blocks in the victory. In her outing against Memphis, Holmes was 12-for-15 from the field and added five blocks to ensure another double-digit win for Indiana to close out the Las Vegas Invitational against Memphis.
Garzon dazzled in Vegas as she averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and held a +3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio and shot 50% from the floor and 58% from the 3-point line in IU’s pair of wins. She dropped 21 points on a 4-for-7 performance from the 3-point line against Auburn, where she put up a solid stat line in grabbing six rebounds and dished out six assists. Closed out the weekend against Memphis where she scored 17 points by going 54% from the floor and hit three triples to go along with another six rebound performance and adding four assists, a steal and a block. Indiana (7-0) returns to Bloomington to host #8 UNC on Thursday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tipoff is slated for 6pm on BTN.
Indiana University Men’s & Women’s Basketball ranked in the AP poll Top Ten
For the first time ever, Indiana men’s basketball and Indiana women’s basketball are simultaneously ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll. Both teams moved up one spot in their respective polls. The men’s team checks in at #10, while the women are #5. Only Indiana and UConn can claim two programs in the top 10.
IU men’s basketball moved up in the rankings Monday following comfortable wins over Little Rock and Jackson State. The Hoosiers’ next opponent, North Carolina, suffered the biggest fall from the top spot in AP Poll history. The Tar Heels lost by five points to unranked Iowa State (now #23) on Friday and dropped a four-overtime thriller by two points to #18 Alabama (now #11) on Sunday. That sent UNC down to #18 ahead of this week’s game in Bloomington. IU is the second-highest ranked team in the Big Ten. Purdue made the biggest jump in the poll this week, going from #24 to #5. The Boilermakers earned double-digit wins in the Phil Knight Legacy tournament over unranked West Virginia, #6 Gonzaga (now #4), and #8 Duke (now #17). Six total Big Ten teams are in the rankings. Behind IU is #16 Illinois (previously unranked), #20 Michigan State (previously #12), #2 Maryland (previously #23), and #25 Ohio State (previously unranked). Former IU head coach Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars moved into the #1 position, the program’s first top ranking in 39 years. Indiana’s other two major non-conference opponents are both in the top 10 — Arizona jumped 10 spots to #4, and Kansas fell six places to #9.
IU women’s basketball wasn’t fazed by suboptimal circumstances in the Las Vegas Invitational last week, picking up wins over unranked opponents Auburn and Memphis. The women’s team like the men also have a huge game this week against a ranked North Carolina team. The Tar Heel women check in at #6, up two spots, after Phil Knight Invitational wins over #8 Oregon (now #9) and #5 Iowa State (now #8). The Hoosiers are the second-highest ranked Big Ten team in this poll — also like the men’s team. Ohio State remains at #4 following blowout wins over Wright State and North Alabama. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Iowa fell one spot to #10 after an 86-79 loss to #3 UConn on Sunday. Michigan rose five places to #17 after an 84-75 win over Baylor on Sunday. Maryland dropped six spots to #20 because of a 76-67 upset loss to unranked DePaul. The Terps bounced back with wins over unranked Towson and Pittsburgh. The IU women are in the AP top 5 for a second consecutive season.
Former Indiana Hoosier Quarterback Nate Sudfeld selected Big Ten Humanitarian Award winner
Indiana record-setting quarterback and NFL veteran Nate Sudfeld was named the Big Ten Conference’s recipient of the Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian award on Monday as announced by the Conference office. Sudfeld is the third Hoosier to earn the award, joining George Taliaferro (2011) and Trent Green (2016). Along with the Humanitarian Award, the IU duo of Antwan Randle El (2018) and Doug Schlereth (2019) have each earned the Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award from the conference office.
A three-year starter and four-year letterwinner, Sudfeld ended his career as one of the most decorated quarterbacks in Indiana history. He left IU ranked #12 in passing touchdowns (61), passing yardage (7,879), 350-yard games (6), 300-yard games (11), 250-yard games (13), 200-yard games (19), four-touchdown games (5), and three-touchdown games (10). He was tied for first in 400-yard games (1), second in completion percentage (60.3) and completions (593), third in total offense (8,011) and fourth in attempts (983) on IU’s career lists in 37 games (26 starts). In his career, he was 593-of-983 (60%) with 7,879 passing yards, 8,011 total yards, 61 passing TDs, 20 INTs, eight rushing scores, and a 144.1 passing efficiency mark, which ranked No, 9 in Big Ten history upon his graduation. He was a third-team All-Big Ten pick by the conference’s media and coaches as a senior, a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and Senior CLASS Award, a team captain as a senior, and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. In his seventh year in the NFL, Sudfeld was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round as the 187th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He has spent seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2017-20) and the San Francisco 49ers (2021). On Aug. 31, 2022, Sudfeld was signed by the Detroit Lions.
Sudfeld spends his time off the field working with several charities, including AIDS Orphans Education Trust Health Centre (AOET), New Dawn Africa Foundation, Assist International, and the Sewing Hope Foundation. Located in Jinja, Uganda, AIDS Orphans Education Trust Health Centre (AOET) provides education, health, and child welfare programs that impact over 4,000 children every day. Alongside Assist International, Sudfeld has partnered with The AOET Children’s Village to support Ugandan orphans and their foster families. Alongside his brothers, Zach Sudfeld and Matt Sudfeld, Nate has also facilitated sports camps for orphan children, hosting programs for football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. In 2018 and 2019, Nate was the sponsor for a sports camp for hundreds of children at AOET and for children from other schools in the Jinja area. Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented many foster families from meeting their daily food needs. Sudfeld generously provided immediate assistance by distributing a supply of emergency food and hygiene items to the families and children across AOET’s programs.
New Dawn Africa Foundation in Entebbe, Uganda, addresses the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in their region, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS and families with children who have HIV. Since 2019, Sudfeld has supported New Dawn as it implements a wide range of programs. These include a nutrition plan for mothers and infants, a counseling program for people living with HIV/AIDS, and educational and farming initiatives. To help offset the impact of the pandemic, Sudfeld generously contributed towards catalyzing New Dawn’s farming initiatives and empowering team members to deliver critical HIV medication to families unable to access their medication in lockdown, as well as supply emergency food for families in the community. In 2021, Assist International joined Navajo Nation leadership, Chapter officials, and a team of partner organizations to catalyze health initiatives that improve access to nutritious food and water for Navajo families. Sudfeld has championed these efforts by supporting Assist International’s Alliance for Navajo Sustainability program, working to improve agriculture, WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene), and sustainable business enterprises for Navajo communities.
The Sewing Hope Children’s Village in Atiak, Uganda, provides homes for orphan children and young women who were abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) or facing hardship and poverty. Sudfeld has supported Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe’s vision to provide housing, education, and care for orphaned children, young women, and refugees in Northern Uganda. Over the past two years, Nate sponsored Sewing Hope’s emergency food distribution and farming initiatives to combat severe effects of hunger and malnutrition facing their region, due to the effects of locust plagues and recent lockdowns. Sudfeld went on his first trip to help Sister Rosemary and her work in Atiak in 2015 while on Spring Break at IU during the building of the first orphan home; he came back to volunteer at the Sewing Hope Children’s Home in Atiak in 2018 and 2019 and has been supporting the efforts to combat food scarcity in 2020 and 2021.
Indiana University Football Kicker Charles Campbell enters the transfer portal I
ndiana redshirt senior kicker Charles Campbell has entered the transfer portal, he announced Monday afternoon on social media. Campbell has one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.
“Dear Hoosier Family, the past 5 years at Indiana University have been a blessing,” Campbell wrote on Twitter. “IU has shaped me in into the man I am today and has left me with an education of a lifetime. I will forever be grateful for Coach Allen, Coach Teegardin, Coach McInenrney, all other coaches who have invested in me. Lastly, I would not be here today with my teammates who have been my greatest friends through the years. “With this being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer for my last year of eligibility. All Glory to God!”
Campbell appeared in 34 games across five seasons at Indiana, while redshirting in the 2018 season. Campbell made 38-of-51 field goal attempts (74.5%), with a career-long of 55 yards. His five career 50-yard field goals rank second in IU history behind only Pete Stoyanovich (6; 1985-88). The Jackson, Tenn., native made multiple game-winning kicks for Indiana, including this season a walk-off field-goal against Western Kentucky to lift Indiana, 33-30.
Big Ten/ACC Challenge to end after 23 years
Once the final buzzer sounds on Wednesday evening, that will be it for Indiana playing in the Big Ten / ACC Challenge. ESPN announced on Monday the annual event, aired entirely on its family of networks, will end after this season. Indiana hosts North Carolina 9:15 pm on ESPN in the marquee matchup of the 2022 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. IU is 8-13 all-time in the Big Ten / ACC Challenge. They have played the last two years on the road and lost by a combined four points in overtime at Florida State in 2020 and at Syracuse in double overtime in 2021.
The Hoosiers first appearance came in 2001 when they won on the road against North Carolina, 79-66. Counting this season, IU will have faced the Tar Heels five times and Duke five times in the event out of their 22 total appearances. The Big Ten Conference captured the 2021 Challenge with an 8-6 record, marking the third consecutive year it has bested the ACC. The ACC leads the all-time series 12-8-3, with its last victory coming in 2017.
ESPN simultaneously announced the end of the SEC / BIG 12 Challenge, and the formation of the ACC / SEC Challenge for men’s and women’s basketball, starting during the 2023-24 season. In August, the Big Ten announced a new media rights deal that did not include ESPN after a 40-year partnership involving the two organizations.
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