Indiana University Men’s and Women’s Basketball are in the top ten in the NCAA’s first Net Rankings The 2022-23 men’s basketball season marks the fifth year of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI prior to the 2018-19 campaign as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams. The NCAA Tournament Committee uses the NET to facilitate the selection of the field. On Monday the NCAA released its first edition of the NET rankings, and both the IU men’s and women’s basketball programs are in the top-10.
The IU men (7-1) are ranked No. 10 despite a road loss to Rutgers on Saturday. Helping the cause is a quadrant 1 win on the road at Xavier earlier in the season. The Hoosiers have two massive opportunities for quadrant 1 wins over the next two weeks against NET No. 26 Arizona on a neutral floor, and No. 18 Kansas on the road. The IU women (9-0) are ranked No. 4, and currently a clear contender for a national No. 1 seed. So far, they are 2-0 against NET top-25 opponents.
Using the quadrant system for the NET, the quality of wins and losses is organized based on game location and the opponent’s NET ranking. Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75, Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135, Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240 and Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353
Seven Indiana University Football players enter the transfer portal Since the 2022 Indiana University Football season ended 11 players have put their names into the transfer portal. Seven of those players announced their decisions over the weekend which include Cornerback Lem Watley-Neely, Wide Receiver Javon Swinton, Tight End A.J. Barner, Cornerback Chris Keys, Wide Receiver Malachi Holt-Bennett, Linebacker Dasan McCullough and Offensive Lineman Randy Holtz. Quarterbacks Jack Tuttle, Connor Bazelak and Grant Gremel along with Kicker Charles Campbell previously announced they were entering the transfer portal. The windows for college football players to formally enter the transfer portal started Monday goes to Jan. 18, and second window is May 1 to May 15.
McCullough was a verbal commit to Ohio State before flipping to Indiana to join his father Deland in Bloomington when the latter decided to do a second stint as running backs coach at IU. Dasan grew up in Indiana when Deland was a running backs coach at IU the first time. But Deland left the second time after one season, and before Dasan arrived, when he took the running backs coach job at Notre Dame following the 2021 season. Dasan was IU’s highest rated recruit ever according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was an instant success on the field for the Hoosiers. He played in all 12 games as a freshman and had 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks. He added three QB hurries, and three pass break-ups and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors following the season.
Barner was an IU team captain in 2022 as a junior. He started eight of Indiana’s 12 games and played in 10 total. But he struggled with injuries all season, limiting his snap counts and productivity. Barner caught 28 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He moved into the starting role this year after Peyton Hendershot left for the NFL last year. As a sophomore, Barner recorded 14 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown while playing in all 12 games. He saw action in eight games as a freshman but primarily on special teams, and he didn’t record a catch. Barner is the third team captain IU is set to lose next year. Quarterback Jack Tuttle also entered the portal, while linebacker Cam Jones is out of eligibility.
Keys appeared in ten games in 2022 with two starts. He had 15 tackles and a pass break up. After taking a redshirt season in 2020 as a freshman, he appeared in the first two games of 2021 season before he suffered a season-ending injury. Keys appeared to be on track to compete for a starting role in 2023. Swinton appeared in nine games as a reserve and caught 12 passes for 122 yards in 2022. For his career the Virginia product has caught 31 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown. He’s perhaps best known for making a pair of catches in his college debut in 2020 against Penn State. Holt-Bennett appeared in 19 games over two years as a reserve and had seven receptions for 119 yards and a score. Holt-Bennett played as a true freshman last year, played more in 2022, and appeared to be trending in the right direction. Watley-Neely played in 11 games in 2022 as a reserve cornerback after missing all of the 2021 season with an injury. He had nine tackles and a pass defended. The Michigan product also appeared in two games in 2020. Holtz was redshirted in 2020 playing after three games playing three games at guard and making his debut November 28 in the win against Maryland. In 2021 Holtz appeared in 11 games at offensive guard and on special teams.
Indiana University Wrestling sweeps Drexel & Binghampton in Garden State Grapple It was a successful Sunday for IU Wrestling as the Hoosiers picked up two wins in the second annual Garden State Grapple held at the Prudential Center in Newark New Jersey. Indiana defeated Drexel, 29-6, in the opener, followed by a 25-16 win over Binghamton in the second dual. The event was featured as a Big Ten vs. EIWA Challenge where four teams from each conference competed in the showcase. The wins put Indiana at 4-0 on the season, the first time doing so since the 2015-16 season.
Jacob Bullock (285) won both of his matches in dramatic fashion. Bullock sealed the win over Binghamton with a pin (3:45) after IU only led 19-16 going into the bout. The senior defeated Santino Morina (Drexel), 3-1, in Sudden Victory-1. Donnell Washington (174) won his first bout in a thriller, 11-10, over Cody Walsh (Drexel). Washington started out up 6-0, but Walsh came back and made it 7-6 by the end of the first period. Washington got on a roll in the third period with riding time advantage and two takedowns to win. Gabe Sollars (197) defeated Sean O’Malley (Drexel) by major decision, 9-0. Cayden Rooks (141) won over Deon Pleasant (Drexel) by fall (6:19). Bullock’s two wins were his first two of the season after coming back from injury and losing in his first dual of the season at SIUE. Washington’s two wins on the day improved his season record to 11-0. Sollars’ win in the Drexel match was his first dual win of his career. Rooks’ win was his first by pin of the season for the senior. Indiana will have some time off before heading to Reno, Nev. for an invite at the Tournament of Champions on Sunday, Dec. 18.
Indiana University Swimming and Diving sweep Cincinnati to conclude fall season Twenty-three Indiana swimming and diving student-athletes tallied 30 NCAA postseason qualifying marks as both the men’s and women’s teams defeated Cincinnati on Friday inside Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center. The Men won 163-121 and the Women handle the Bearcats 161-110. The Hoosiers had 11 Men won 13 events and 13 Women won 15 events.
Junior Maxwell Reich set a personal best in the 200-yard breaststroke going 1:52.35, the fifth-fastest time in country this season. He and sophomore Josh Matheny who swam a 1:51.68 earlier this season, have two of the top times in the country and the fastest marks in the Big Ten. Sophomore Carson Tyler went 2-for-2 on the springboards, posting NCAA zone qualifying scores in the 1-meter (370.65) and 3-meter (408.15) events. On the women’s 3-meter board, sophomore Megan Carter had a personal best 351.60 to win the event. Senior Maggie Wallace kicked off the meet with an NCAA B cut 16:28.28. Indiana returns to action after the calendar turns over to 2023. The Hoosiers will host Big Ten rival Michigan in a dual meet on January 14 to open the spring slate.
Indiana University Women’s Golf signs two commits for 2023
Indiana women’s golf head coach Brian May announced the additions of Nicole Kolbas and Caroline Smith on National Signing Day.
“We are very excited to get our first class signed here at Indiana,” May said. “These two players embody the passion and competitiveness that we are looking for with our team. “They understand the vision of our program and where we are headed. Both Caroline and Nicole will play key roles in returning the Hoosier to a premier women’s golf program.”
Nicole Kolbas/ Lincoln, Neb./Pius X Catholic High School
Nebraska Junior Girls’ Amateur Champion … earned individual medalist honors at the PGA Junior Girls Qualifier … won the USGA Junior Girls Qualifier … NSAA Class A State Champion … NSAA Class A District Champion … earned 11 top-10 finishes in AJGA, PGA or U.S. events … National Honor Society Member … three-time NGA Junior All-Star Team member … set NSAA Class A State scoring record in back-to-back years … broke the Pius X High School scoring average record twice … four-time Nebraska Girls’ Four State Team … three-time Nebraska Academic All-State … three-time Super-State Coaches Association Award … 2020 NCPA Academic All-State Award … three-time Class A Golf Letter Winner … 2017 Nebraska Junior Golf Tour Player of the Year … three-time Pius X Girls Golf Team Captain … led the Pius X Team Fundraiser Food Drive during the COVID-19 Pandemic … Summer Junior Golf Camps & Spring Jr. High Golf League Organizer … U.S. Kids Local Tour Volunteer … U.S. Kids Regional Tour Volunteer … Extrom Physical Therapy Volunteer Assistant … Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach Volunteer … daughter of Vlad and Stephanie Kolbas.
Caroline Smith/Inverness, Ill./Barrington High School/Wake Forest
Earned eight top-10 AGJA finishes, including six top-5 (2016-2019) for coaches Tim Martin and Jodi Schoeck at Barrington High School … the Broncos were four-time state runners-up … four-time MSL All-Conference … three-time conference champion … three-time All-State honoree … two appearances at the U.S. Girls Junior … 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four Ball … four-time All-Conference and three-time All-State honors in Illinois … two-time Junior PGA Girls Championship qualifier … committed to Wake Forest as the top ranked junior player in Illinois … made Dean’s List twice at Wake … participated in the 2021 USGA Women’s Amateur Championship … won the 2021 Kentucky PGA Women’s Open … finished fifth in the 2022 Women’s Western Amateur … intends to earn a master’s degree in sport management/business administration … daughter of Michael and Barbara Smith … has two brothers, Sawyer and Jake … and a dog named Peyton Manning.
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