#10 Indiana Men’s Basketball host #18 North Carolina in Big Ten/ACC Challenge Indiana University continues its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball with the 24th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge as hosts of No. 18/15 North Carolina. The game is scheduled for a 9:15 pm tip off this evening at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN. The Tar Heels, led by second-year head coach Hubert Davis, enters the game with a 5-2 record. UNC went 1-2 in the Phil Knight Invitational during Feast Week losing to Iowa State and Alabama. The Tar Heels were the number 1 ranked team until this week when the new polls came out. North Carolina lost to Kansas in the National Championship game in April.
Indiana and North Carolina have squared off 15 times on the hardwood. The Hoosiers have earned nine victories in the series of blue-blood programs, including a mark of 4-2 at home. Three of the 15 matchups have come in the NCAA Tournament with Indiana claiming two victories, including a 63-50 triumph in the 1981 NCAA Championship game. IU and UNC have combined to win 11 national championships and are among the five schools to claim at least five title trophies. The Hoosiers are 8-13 all time in the Big Tenn/ACC Challenge with a home record of 5-4. Indiana has dropped four of the last five games in the event. Tonight’s matchup will mark the fifth between Indiana and North Carolina in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. IU holds an advantage of 3-1 in the previous four meetings.
Sophomore guard Tamar Bates set career highs in points (22), made field goals (8), made 3-point attempts (4), and assists (4) in Indiana’s 90-51 victory over Jackson State last Friday. Fifth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson chipped in 16 points, four assists, and two steals in the win, while senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis tallied 11 points in just 19 minutes. Bates, nicknamed “Scoop”, is the first Hoosier off the bench and leads all second-unit players in minutes (21.6 per game). He averages 8.5 points, 2.0 assists, and 0.5 steals a night and he became a father to his daughter, Leilani, on March 20, 2022, two days after his freshman season concluded.
The Hoosier defense is holding opponents to 59.3 points per content on 36.8% shooting from the floor and 29.4% shooting from the 3-point line. Indiana currently shoots better from the 3-point line (38.3%) than the opposition shoots from the floor. IU has held four opponents under 60 points this season. Indiana limited Morehead State to 53 points, the fewest allowed by an opponent in an Indiana season opener since Nov. 13, 2015, when Indiana beat Eastern Illinois, 88-49.
IU Football’s Jaylin Lucas named Big Ten Return Specialist of the year; Six others named to all-Big Ten team After bursting onto the scene, literally, and the only FBS returner with multiple kickoff return touchdowns, Indiana football true freshman Jaylin Lucas was named the Big Ten’s Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year as the conference office announced its defensive and special teams’ awards on Tuesday.
Lucas is the first freshman (true or redshirt) to win the return specialist of the year award from the conference and Indiana’s first winner of the award. His 591 yards are ranked No. 12 in single-season program history and led the conference, while his 28.1 yards per return rank No. 4 nationally. He is the first IU returner to earn All-B1G honors since the conference added the spot in 2015. With two return touchdowns, Lucas finished No. 2 on both the IU single season and career charts after one season on campus. He trails Marcus Thigpen (2005-08), who returned all three of his career kickoffs for scores during the 2006 campaign. His two kickoff return touchdowns rank tied for No. 7 among active FBS student-athletes, as well. Along with his return stats, Lucas is the first Hoosier since Tevin Coleman in 2014 with three 70-yard scoring plays in a single season. Both of his kickoff return scores covered 80-plus yards and he added a 71-yard rushing touchdown in the season finale versus Purdue as part of his first career 100-yard rushing game. On the season, Lucas totaled 944 all-purpose yards, the most in a season since Whop Philyor (1,094) in 2019.
Four defensive student-athletes earned All-B1G honors from either the conference coaches or media panel. Senior+ linebacker Cam Jones and senior cornerback Tiawan Mullen each garnered honorable-mention nods from each set of voters, while redshirt senior linebacker Aaron Casey and true freshman outside linebacker Dasan McCullough were each honorable-mention picks by the media. The special team’s duo of redshirt junior place kicker Charles Campbell and sophomore punter James Evans each earned honorable mention from the conference coaches and media, as well.
Ranked among the career leaders in field goals made (No. 8; 39), extra points made (No. 9; 73) and points (No. 13; 190), Campbell finished the 2022 campaign ranked No. 15 in scoring at 69 points and his 14 made field goals were No. 6 in the conference. His 51-yard walk-off field goal against Western Kentucky was the fifth 50-plus yarder of his career to rank No. 2 in program history in that category.
Casey finished the regular season ranked tied for No. 10 in total tackles among Big Ten defenders and his 50 solo stops were tied for No. 6 in the conference. He eclipsed his single-season high for tackles for loss in the first three games of the season and ended the year tied for No. 8 in the Big Ten with 10.5 stops behind the line. The Douglasville, Ga., native also posted his first four career double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 11 at Rutgers.
In his second season playing American football, Evans ended the season among the top punters in the nation with his 44.4 yards per punt average ranked at No. 2 on the Indiana single-season charts behind only Drew Hagan (44.8; 1999). His 30 punts inside the 20-yard line finished No. 3 nationally – and in the Big Ten – and his 24 punts of 50-plus yards tied for the lead in the Big Ten. He also finished No. 2 in the conference in punts inside the 10-yard line, per Pro Football Focus.
The heart of the Indiana defense, Jones led the Big Ten in tackles through five weeks with 55, which included his first four career double-digit tackle games. He piled up seven tackles in each of his five games before suffering a season-ending injury at Nebraska. Just the third three-time captain in program history, Jones had 12 stops in a season-opening win over Illinois and later added three-straight double-digit tackle contests before his injury.
With the 20th most snaps played among true freshmen defenders in the FBS, McCullough tied for No. 1 among true freshmen in the FBS in tackles for loss or no gain (9) per Pro Football Focus. He finished among the top-6 true freshmen defenders in sacks (No. 5; 4.0), defensive stops (No. 6; 26), and total pressures (22; No. 6). His 49 tackles were No. 7 on the team and tops among non-linebackers/defensive backs.
Mullen earned his second career nod to the All-Big Ten team after a career-high 58 tackles in 2022. He came away with a pair of interceptions to push his career total to five and added eight pass breakups to move that career mark to 28. He added one forced fumble on the season to give him 11 takeaways in his career to lead all IU defenders and posted at least four tackles in 10 of 12 starts this season.
Indiana University Football Quarterback Connor Bazelak announces he is entering the transfer portal He came in as the potential quarterback of the future for Indiana. But it’ll be one-and-done for Connor Bazelak in Bloomington. The Ohio native announced on Tuesday he will put his name in the transfer portal. After transferring in from Missouri with three years of eligibility remaining, Bazelak started nine games for Indiana in 2022. He completed 235-of-426 passes on the season (55.2 percent) with 13 TDs and 10 INTs. He threw for 2,312 yards through the air but lost 160 on the ground including sacks.
Bazelak’s lack of mobility played a role in his struggles during the season. Playing behind an underperforming offensive line, he did not show a consistent ability to escape the pocket or make accurate throws into tight windows while under pressure. Moreover, the run/pass option aspect of offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s scheme was ineffective since defenses did not respect Bazelak as a threat to run. Bazelak ultimately lost his starting role but filled in when Dexter Williams was injured against Purdue. In October, quarterback Jack Tuttle announced he would enter the portal after the season as well. With Bazelak and Tuttle leaving, and Williams ostensibly dealing with a serious long-term injury, the Hoosiers will be razor thin at quarterback going into spring practice. Brendan Sorsby, who will be a redshirt freshman next year, and Broc Lowry, who will be a true freshman, could be the only quarterbacks available in the spring.
The program will obviously be looking for a quarterback in the transfer portal, and a true dual-threat player will be a major priority going forward. “That’s what I know we need to do,” coach Tom Allen said after the loss to Purdue when asked about emphasizing quarterback mobility going forward. “That allows us the chance to be able to do the things we need to do to be able to blend and different things, yes, but with the idea of the tempo that we used and the quarterback run game and throw game combination to me is really what I want us to be able to do, and want to build off that, absolutely, without question.”
On Monday, walk-on quarterback Grant Gremel also announced he was transferring. Gremel started against Purdue in 2021.
Indiana University Football players Shaun Shivers & Devon Matthews delcare for 2023 NFL Draft Indiana safety Devon Matthews and running back Shaun Shivers have both declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, as they announced on their Twitter accounts. Matthews had played five seasons with the Hoosiers, while Shivers transferred in this past offseason from Auburn.
Matthews had been a big part of Tom Allen’s defenses since 2018, recording 20 tackles on the season and playing his best in big games. He recorded his first career interception against #3 Ohio State that year and his first defended pass against #24 Michigan State. Over his five years, he recorded 137 solo tackles, 16 passes defended, four interceptions, and two sacks. Entering the 2022 season, he was named to PFF’s Pre-Season All Big Ten team as an honorary mention. He finished the season as Indiana’s highest graded safety, per PFF. Matthews had a pivotal interception against J.J. McCarthy when Michigan was up just 17-10 in the second half against the Hoosiers. He also had a season-high 10 total tackles in Indiana’s upset victory over Michigan State this season.
Despite playing behind a struggling offensive line, Shivers recorded many career highs in his season at Indiana. His 143 carries, 592 yards, and six touchdowns were all career bests for him, and his 79-yard touchdown run against Michigan State was the longest of his career. Shivers should be remembered for how much he gave for the Hoosiers when the offensive struggles made it difficult for him to thrive. He was left vulnerable for two big hits in the season opener against Illinois, including being de-cleated on Indiana’s first play from scrimmage. That he was still healthy and able to break off that momentum-shifting run against the Spartans is a testament to how hard he ran. He also scored a pivotal touchdown to beat Illinois after taking those hits, playing a big part in each of Indiana’s exciting wins this season.
Indianapolis Colts fall at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their dominance over the Colts winning 24-17 at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday night. Pittsburgh’s now won eight straight against the Colts, who haven’t won a game in the series since interim head coach Jeff Saturday was a player in 2008. It was a first half to forget for the Colts. The offense didn’t gain a single yard in the first quarter, then managed only a 51-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal in the second. Meanwhile, the Steelers racked up 232 yards of offense in the first half. Najee Harris scored on a six-yard run and Matthew Wright kicked three fields for a 16-3 halftime lead. Rookie Dallis Flowers provided the spark the Colts needed coming out of the locker room, returning the second half kickoff 89 yards to the Pittsburgh 19-yard line. Jonathan Taylor scored four plays later on a two-yard run to cut the Steelers’ lead to 16-10. The Colts appeared on the verge of scoring the tying-touchdown, but Matt Ryan and Taylor fumbled an exchange at the Pittsburgh one-yard line and the Steelers recovered.
The defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back and the offense took advantage as Ryan hit Michael Pittman Jr. for a six-yard touchdown to give Indianapolis its first lead. Pittsburgh answered with an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped off by Benny Snell two-yard touchdown run. Kenny Pickett connected with George Pickens for the two-point conversion to put the Steelers up seven points in the fourth quarter. Ryan was driving the team towards the tying-score with time winding down, but his pass to Parris Campbell was incomplete on fourth down. The Colts have lost five out of their last six and are now 4-7-1. They’ll play their second straight game in primetime when they visit the 8-3 Cowboys for Sunday Night Football.
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