Indiana Women’s Basketball player Grace Berger in New York City for WNBA Draft Indiana University guard Grace Berger is one of 15 prospects that will be attending the 2023 WNBA Draft Tonight in New York City with television coverage starting at 7pm. The draft will take place at Spring Studios, located in the Tribeca section of New York. Berger is a four-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Berger is also the all-time winningest player at Indiana, having won 118 games during her five seasons in Bloomington. Berger is seventh in school history with 1,841 points and second in assists with 573 assists. Berger is projected to go in the first round. The Draft is 3 rounds with 12 picks in each round for 36 total draft picks selected.
Berger will be joined in New York along with 14 others who are expected to be drafted which include Laeticia Amihere (South Carolina forward), Brea Beal (South Carolina guard), Aliyah Boston (South Carolina forward / center), Zia Cooke (South Carolina guard), Jordan Horston (Tennessee guard), Ashley Joens (Iowa State guard / forward), Haley Jones (Stanford guard / forward), Dorka Juhász (Connecticut forward), Lou Lopez Sénéchal (Connecticut guard / forward), Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State guard), Diamond Miller (Maryland guard), Alexis Morris (LSU guard), Maddy Siegrist (Villanova forward) and Stephanie Soares (Iowa State forward / center).
Heading into the tonight’s draft, the Indiana Fever own five of the 36 draft picks: 1st Round – 1st Overall, 1st Round – 7th Overall, 2nd Round – 13th Overall, 2nd Round – 17th Overall and 3rd Round – 25th Overall. Entering the draft, Indiana has never selected the No. 1 overall pick or the No. 7 overall pick in WNBA Draft history and are expected to take South Carolina Forward/Center Aliyah Boston with the number 1 pick.
Indiana University Men’s Golf finishes second in Hoosier Invitational at the Pfau Course
The Indiana men’s golf team shot a three-round score of 879 (298-293-288; +27) to place second at the Hoosier Collegiate at The Pfau Golf Course on Sunday. Fifth-year senior Mitch Davis tied the course competitive round record at 66 (-5) in the final round of play. He is the first player to play a 66 was Oskar Ambrosius of Memphis in the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational on April 3, 2021. No. 49 Chattanooga (870; +18) took the team title, while Jay Nimmo (211; -2) of Murray State earned the individual medalist honors.
Fifth-year senior Thomas Hursey playing as an individual, finished second overall after shooting a 212 (71-72-69; -1). His final round of 69 (-2) included three birdies against just one bogey. Davis played a three-round scorecard of 215 (74-75-66; +2) to finish tied for fifth. His final round of 66 (-5) was the lowest round played all weekend at The Pfau. He carded seven birdies, including four of five holes on the back nine. Junior Drew Salyers tied for eighth overall at 220 (73-72-75; +7). His final round of 75 (+4) included a birdie on No. 1 and an eagle on No. 13. Senior Noah Gillard finished t-10th with a final tally of 221 (75-75-71; +8). His final round of 71 (E) played one birdie (No. 3) and a team-best 16 par conversions. Senior Eric Berggren finished t-14th after shooting a 223 (76-71-76; +10) over the weekend. He struggled to close out his third round of 76 (+5) after converting a birdie on No. 13. Junior Robbie Bender III, playing as an individual, shot a 232 (78-81-73; +19) for the weekend. He converted two birdies (No. 11, No. 18) on his front nine of the final round.
Fifth-year senior Harry Reynolds finished the tournament at 232 (78-77-77; +19). Indiana will close out the 2022-23 regular season at the Fighting Illini Collegiate from April 22-23. The event will be played at the Atkins Golf Course in Urbana, Ill. The Hoosiers will then advance to the 2023 Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship from April 28-30 at the Galloway National Golf Course in Galloway, N.J.
Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Manager & Eastern Greene HS Graduate Dusty May signs extension with Florida Atlantic Florida Atlantic University’s magical season is paying off for coach for former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Manager and Eastern Greene HS Graduate Dusty May. The Owls announced a 10-year extension with a hefty raise for May on Saturday, one week after FAU’s season ended in the Final Four in Houston with a loss to San Diego State. The contract, acquired by The Palm Beach Post, will pay May $1.25 million per year starting immediately and increase by 5 percent each year until 2033. The total base salary comes to more than $15.7 million over the 10 years. May Graduated from Eastern Greene High School in 1995 and was a manager under Bobby Knight at IU from 1996-2000 and has a 101-64 record in five seasons at Florida Atlantic which is located in Boca Raton Florida.
May, 46, is eligible for several bonuses, including $250,000 for winning the national championship, $150,000 for appearing in the championship game, $100,000 for appearing in the Final Four, $75,000 for making the Elite 8, $50,000 for making the Sweet 16, $30,000 for winning an NCAA Tournament game and $25,000 for receiving an NCAA Tournament bid. Additionally, May would receive $25,000 for winning the Associated Press or Naismith National Coach of the Year Award, $15,000 for winning the Conference Coach of the Year (as determined by the Conference office), $15,000 for winning a regular-season Conference Championship, $10,000 for receiving an invitation to the NIT and $10,000 for each win in the NIT. May was named national coach of the year by CBS this season. May will receive bonuses ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 when reaching certain academic progress numbers.
The contract also calls for FAU to establish an operating budget for the men’s basketball program that is at least 20 percent higher than last season’s. If May takes another job before Feb. 29, 2024 he will owe the university $1.5 million. That number decreases to $1 million, $750,000 and $500,000 over the next three years. May made $545,000 last season, not including bonuses. The Owls stunned the college basketball world by advancing through the East Regional and into the Final Four, where they lost in the national semifinal to San Diego State, 72-71, on a buzzer beater after leading for the last 26 1/2 minutes of the game. FAU finished the season with a program best 35-4 record that included a record 20-game winning streak. They were the Conference USA regular season and tournament champions and won the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament. FAU had never won an NCAA Tournament game entering this season. The Owls are moving into the American Athletic Conference next season,
When asked at the Final Four about signing a new deal, May said, “I learned a long time ago you never mess with happy.” The Post reported during the East Regionals the university was working on a longterm deal to hopefully dissuade May from talking to any schools from the major conferences that could be interested. Atheltic Director Brian White confirmed a week ago that May was staying and said the contract would be signed when the team returned from the Final Four. “What Dusty has accomplished in his first five years at Florida Atlantic is, in my opinion, one of the most remarkable coaching feats in the history of college basketball,” White said Saturday in a release. “In addition to his tremendous coaching ability, he has proven to be an excellent program builder, a phenomenal leader of men, and a great recruiter of talented, high-character individuals. … The exposure that this program’s success has provided for Florida Atlantic University is beyond measure, and we are incredibly excited about the future of FAU men’s basketball under Dusty’s leadership.” May took over an FAU program that had five winning seasons in its previous 25 years. He matched that total in his first five years, including the Owls’ run to the Final Four.
Indiana Pacers win regular season finale against the New York Knicks
Bennedict Mathurin scored 26 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 141-136 win over the New York Knicks on Sunday in the regular season finale for both teams. Mathurin was one of seven Pacers to finish in double-figure scoring. Jordan Nwora and Andrew Nembhard each had 19 points. George Hill had 17 points, Buddy Hield had 15 points off the bench, Aaron Nesmith chipped in 14 points and Oshae Brissett added 12. Indiana completed its regular season with three wins in its final 10 games to finish the season 35-47 and miss the playoffs for the third season in a row.
Obi Toppin scored a game-high 34 for New York, which finished the regular season with a 47-35 record, and the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They will meet fourth seed Cleveland in the first round. Immanuel Quickley had 30 points, Quentin Grimes had 22 on 8-of-13 shooting, RJ Barrett finished with 18 points and Josh Hart had 10 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter. With neither team having anything of significance to play for, the current iteration of the Knicks and Pacers authored a performance that was in no way reminiscent of their 1990s predecessors’ battles. Entering the fourth quarter, New York led 107-100. Indiana then went on a 13-5 run over the first three minutes to take a 113-112 lead. Following a timeout, the Pacers extended the advantage to 117-112. New York closed to within two on Toppin’s step-back 3, but Indiana ended the game by out-scoring the Knicks 24-21. The spurt was highlighted by Mathurin’s breakaway dunk.
Indianapolis Indians win fifth straight game against the Louisville Bats
Behind 5.0 innings of two-hit, one-run ball from top pitching prospect Quinn Priester, the Indianapolis Indians beat the Louisville Bats for their fifth win in a row on Sunday afternoon at Louisville Slugger Field, 8-1. The win not only pushes Indianapolis over the .500 marker in the early goings, but the five-game winning streak also matches their longest win streak all of last season (April 8-13, Aug. 31-Sept. 4). Both teams were held hitless through the first four innings of the game, but the Indians (5-4) finally got into the hit column in the top of the fifth against rehabbing Louisville right-hander Lucas Sims. The Bats’ starter, right-hander Luke Weaver, went 4.0 no-hit innings with four strikeouts in the first outing of his rehab assignment.
The Bats (2-7) struck first shortly after their first hit against Priester (W, 1-1) when center fielder TJ Hopkins scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth. However, the Indians broke through for three runs a half-inning later against Bats reliever Zack Brown (L, 0-1), highlighted by an RBI single from catcher Endy Rodríguez and a run-producing double from first baseman Miguel Andújar. They tacked on two more in the seventh thanks to a two-run single from left fielder Tucupita Marcano, who’s hitting an even .500 (14-for-28) with nine RBI in his first seven games.
Three more Indians runs came in the top of the ninth against Bats reliever Ricky Karcher thanks to an RBI triple from center fielder Travis Swaggerty, a double from Marcano, and a sacrifice fly from second baseman Nick Gonzales. Indianapolis’ eight runs scored is a new season-high nine games into the season, while their two hits allowed are the fewest in a nine-inning game this year. The Indians head back to Victory Field to start a six-game series with the St. Paul Saints beginning tomorrow night at 6:05pm. No starter has been announced for either team.
Follow us on Facebook
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson