Trayce Jackson-Davis officially declares for the 2023 NBA Draft
As expected, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis formally declared for the 2023 NBA draft on Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 forward played the last four seasons at Indiana for Archie Miller and Mike Woodson.
Here’s the full statement Jackson-Davis issued Tuesday: “First and foremost I’d like to thank God for giving me the ability to play the game of basketball. I’d like to thank my mother and father for always looking out for me and making sure that I’m always on the right track. To Ari and Tay, I love you and I always got your guys back. Also, a huge thanks to Coach Woodson and Coach Miller for allowing me to leave my small mark on this amazing program. To every trainer that I had the pleasure to work with, a huge thanks to you as well.
Indiana, I appreciate the life lessons and every experience this beautiful University has taught me. I have made relationships here that will last a lifetime. From the people, places and basketball it has truly been a pleasure to wear the cream and crimson. I will cherish this place and am happy to say I can call it my home. All my life it has been a dream of mine to play in the NBA. With that being said, I will forego my extra year of eligibility and go all in for the 2023 NBA Draft while continuing my representation with Excel Sports Management.
Sincerely
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Mackenzie Holmes named finalist for 2023 Honda Award for Women’s Basketball
Indiana Senior forward Mackenize Holmes has been named a finalist for the 2023 Honda Sport Award for women’s basketball. The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda in downtown L.A., on Monday, June 26, at 9 pm ET/6 PT on CBS Sports Network. The basketball finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Honda Sport award winner for basketball will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
The Gorham, Maine native is the program’s first Honda Sport Award finalist and averaged a team-high 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks. She was one of the nation’s most accurate shooters by going 68.0 percent from the floor. She is second in the nation and leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage, fifth in field goals made (281), sixth in points scored (692), and seventh in points per game (22.3). Holmes led the Hoosiers in scoring on 25 occasions this season while posting double figures in 31 games, scoring 20 points 19 times and three 30-point scoring efforts. Her nine double-doubles led the team, as six of her double-doubles occurred in conference play which ranks eighth all-time in a single season. She led the league in blocks (58) and blocks per game (1.9) and averages 1.1 steals (35) per game. She set a season-high five blocks against Nebraska and Michigan while recording multiple blocks in 14 games. Holmes is now in the top five in scoring in school history (1,897) and second in all-time blocks (208). Other awards for Holmes this season included the program’s first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and is now a three-time All-Big Ten selection in her career. She has also been named a 2023 Lisa Leslie Award finalist, a 2023 Wade Trophy finalist, 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy semifinalist and 2023 USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year candidate.
The CWSA, entering its 47th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.
Indiana University Men’s Basketball to compete in the 2023 Empire Classic
Indiana Men’s Basketball program will join Louisville, Texas, and UConn as participants in the 2023 Empire Classic presented by Continental Tire benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. The event will be played from Nov. 19-20 at Madison Square Garden in New York. IU holds a record of 14-12 all-time in games played at MSG. Semifinal matchups, television coverage, and the on-sale date for tickets will be announced in the future. To be the first to receive updates on these important details, sign up for alerts at Gazelle Ticket Updates and follow the Empire Classic on Twitter and on Instagram.
The series of games will mark a homecoming for Indiana head coach Mike Woodson, who was the head coach of the New York Knicks from 2012-14. Woodson was drafted 12th overall in the 1980 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and played with the franchise from 1980-81. He also served two stints as an assistant coach with the Knicks from 2011-12 and 2020-21. Indiana is coming off a 23-12 season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This will mark the program’s second appearance in the Empire Classic. IU defeated Washington, 102-84, in the opening round of the 2013 Empire Classic before falling to UConn, 59-58, in the title game. The Hoosiers also defeated Stony Brook, 90-74, and LIU Brooklyn, 73-72, in the Bloomington Regional at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall leading up to the main event at Madison Square Garden.
Texas, a 2023 Elite Eight participant, will be making its seventh appearance in the Empire Classic, the most of any program. UConn, the 2023 national champion, will be making the program’s fifth appearance in the event. Louisville, guided by former New York Knicks assistant coach Kenny Payne, will be making its debut in the tournament. The Hoosiers are 11-9 all time against the Cardinals, 1-2 against the Longhorns, and 4-6 against the Huskies. It will be the Hoosiers first appearance in MSG since defeating UConn, 57-54, on Dec. 10, 2019, as part of the Jimmy V Classic. IU last faced Louisville on Dec. 8, 2018, when it won 68-67 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers fell to Texas, 66-44, in their last matchup on Dec. 1, 2020, in the Maui Invitational played in Asheville, N.C.
Indiana University Softball players Taylor Minnick & Avery Parker win Big Ten weekly awards
Sophomore Taylor Minnick and Freshman Avery Parker have collected Big Ten Weekly Awards for the fourth straight week, the conference announced Monday. Minnick was named Co-Player of the Week and Parker Freshman of the Week after a historic weekend for the Hoosiers as they extended their win streak to 21 straight games, defeating Butler and earning two conference sweeps against Purdue and Ohio State. The No. 19 ranked Hoosiers have won the last 22 out of the last 23 games.
Minnick hit .500 on the week as she totaled eight hits, two doubles, two home runs, six runs, eight free passes and seven RBI on the week. The Bloomington, Ind., native and Edgewood High School Graduate hit a team high .750 against Ohio State with a 1.750 slugging percentage and a 2.555 OPS. She hit Minnick hit two home runs, four RBI with six hits and five runs scored against the Buckeyes. In the Big Ten, Minnick ranks second in OBS (.523), third in doubles (11), and fifth in batting average (.405).
Parker picks up her first award batting .500 batting with a 1.636 OPS on eight hits including two doubles and two home runs on the weekend. She totaled seven RBI and scored eight runs in six games. Parker also had an outstanding defensive performance with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage from the field and behind the plate. The Westfield, Ind., native had a team high .500 batting average scoring three runs on three hits and two RBI against archrival Purdue. The freshman ranks fourth in the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.721).
Bloomington North Boys Basketball Senior JQ Roberts named 2023 Indiana All Star
It’s days like Tuesday that JaQualon Roberts put in all those extra hours. Like the days holding conference, sectional and regional title trophies, it’s another reward for the work the Bloomington North has put in over the years to make himself one of the best boys’ basketball players in the state of Indiana. That was recognized with Roberts being named a 2023 Indiana All-Star. Roberts, a Vanderbilt signee, will participate in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series that will take place June 9 at the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, Kentucky, and June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“It means a lot for me to be in the position I am today,” Roberts said. “My family worked hard to help me get to those accomplishments. It’s a phenomenal feeling, during basketball season at practice, seeing the other players who earned that honor and seeing their jerseys on the wall. And to get my jersey on the wall, it’s a great feeling for me. It’s an amazing accomplishment.” He is the first Cougar to make the All-Star squad since Julian Boatner in 2010 and just the second since Bil Duany in 2004. “I’m super proud for him,” North coach Jason Speer said. “He’s done all the work that goes into being a great player. It validates that he will be one of the best players to graduate from Bloomington North.”
The 6-8 Vanderbilt commit averaged 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocked shots per game for the Cougars, who went 19-6 and won a regional championship for the second consecutive season. Roberts finished his career with 1,244 points, 639 rebounds, 136 assists, 108 steals and 62 blocked shots. Roberts had plenty of help along the way. “Definitely my mom,” he said. “Seeing how much she worked day in and day out to support my sister and I, and to be able to use that and be a hard worker and the toughness. That’s a big thing in our family is working your hardest. “And I appreciate all the coaches and trainers what developed me into the player that I am today. Each day I try to be the best I can to help the team win. That’s the ultimate thing that counts. Being the toughest player on the court is what got me here.”
That’s what it took in a year with a deep senior class to make this particular All-Star team. “To be listed in the top 15 is a great accomplishment,” said Roberts, who also plans to play in the Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game at North Daviess on Sunday, April 16. “I’m honored and blessed to be in this position.” And the Cougars will add to their proud collection of framed jerseys that also includes Errek Suhr (2003), Sean Mays (2002), Jared Jeffries (2000) and Terry Stotts (1976). “At our level, when you have that sort of player, a Division I recruit or an Indiana All-Star, your job as a coach is to put guys around him that cane make the best team possible,” Speer said. “He’s the best players on our team but he’s also the consummate team player. “His winning percentage at North has been incredible. I think as his individual accomplishments go, those are great, but also put in the team accomplishments, the championships he’s won, that tells you all you need to know about JQ. He’s a winner.”
Roberts will be on the All-Stars along with Zane Doughty and Sheridan Sharp from Ben Davis, Noblesville’s Luke Almodovar, Cathedral’s Xavier Booker, Penn’s Markus Burton, Heritage Christian’s Myles Colvin, Linton-Stockton’s Joey Hart, Zionsville’s Logan Imes, Valparaiso’s Mason Jones, Crown Point’s A.J. Lux, Carmel’s Sam Orme and NorthWood’s Ian Raasch. Ben Davis Head Coach Don Carlisle will be assisted by Frankton’s Brent Brobston and Evansville Bosse’s Shane Burkhart. Cathedral’s Jaron Tibbs was in consideration for the team, but was unable to play due to conflict with his Purdue football commitment.
Indiana Fever waive Guard Khayla Pointer
The Indiana Fever announce Tuesday the team has waived guard Khayla Pointer. In her rookie season in 2022 with Indiana, Pointer appeared in 10 games and averaged 2.2 points per game. Pointer was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces in the second round of the 2022 WNBA Draft with 13th overall pick out of LSU. Pointer was waived by Aces on May 2, 2022, and signed with the Fever July 14, 2022.
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