Indiana University Athletics mourns the passing of Bloomington’s Viola “Vi” Taliaferro
Judge Viola J. Taliaferro, a Bloomington icon and groundbreaker in the legal profession in Monroe County, has passed away. She was 94 years old. Viola “Vi” Taliaferro and the late George Taliaferro were married in 1950, shortly after the pair graduated from Indiana University. George, who passed away in 2018, remains one of the most important figures in both IU Athletics and Indiana University history due to his Hall of Fame career as an IU football player and for shattering racial barriers on campus and in the community during his time as a student and then as a university administrator. But Viola was an equally important and impactful figure both locally and nationally.
After building a successful career in academia, social work and administration, Vi enrolled at IU’s Maurer School of Law in 1975. She graduated in 1977 and went on to be a pioneer in her own right. After practicing law for 12 years, she became the first African American to serve as both a magistrate and as a judge in the Monroe County Circuit Court. During her time on the bench, she handled county juvenile, paternity, probate, and mental health commitment cases. In 2008, IU’s Maurer School of Law renamed its mediation clinic as the Viola J. Taliaferro Family and Children’s Mediation Clinic in her honor. In addition to her work locally, she was also an important figure nationally. She served as a consultant to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, was on the National Research Council on Juvenile Crime, and was elected to the American Law Institute. After retiring from the bench in 2004 she continued to do special projects for the Indiana Supreme Court. In 2021, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren announced the creation of the George and Viola Taliaferro Fellowship, in an effort to recognize the pair’s enormous impact on education, athletics and the justice system. The Indiana University family extends its deepest condolences to the entire Taliaferro family.
Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball player Thomas Bryant wins an NBA Championship with the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals on Monday, taking the series four games to one. This means former IU basketball star Thomas Bryant is a 2023 NBA champion. Bryant, a highly touted recruit in high school, played for Tom Crean at IU. In Bryant’s first season at IU, the Hoosiers won a Big Ten regular season championship, and he was named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team. IU ultimately lost in the Sweet Sixteen that season. Following Bryant’s sophomore season, in which IU didn’t make the NCAA tournament, Crean was fired. In his two seasons with the Hoosiers, Bryant averaged 12.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
Bryant was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 42nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft but was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Appearing in six NBA seasons, Bryant has played for the Lakers (two separate stretches), the Washington Wizards and the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers signed Bryant in July 2022, leading to his second stint with the franchise. In February 2023, Bryant was traded to the Denver Nuggets. Bryant played in 18 regular season games for the Nuggets, averaging 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game during that stretch. He made just one appearance during the 2023 NBA Playoffs briefly during Game 3 of the Finals. Two former Hoosiers were on the losing side of the matchup in the 2023 NBA Finals. Cody Zeller, who played two seasons at IU, appeared in all five games of the 2023 NBA Finals for the Miami Heat. Victor Oladipo, who was teammates with Zeller at IU, suffered a season-ending injury in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks, so he wasn’t available for much of the Heat’s run in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Indiana University Men’s Golf adds Chicago State Transfer Kieran Hogarth
Indiana head men’s golf coach Mike Mayer announced the addition of transfer Kieran Hogarth on Tuesday. “Kieran is a perfect fit for our Hoosier golf team,” said Mayer. “He is an established collegiate golfer and national amateur golfer. He has an outstanding academic background, and he is an absolutely delightful young man. “We feel that he will come in here and immediately help our program. One of Kieran’s many goals is to play professional golf in Europe after he graduates from IU, and we are going to do everything we can to help him realize his dream.”
Kieran Hogarth- Preston, Lancashire, England- Chicago State University
Hogarth adds two years of collegiate experience to the Indiana men’s golf team after two standout seasons at Chicago State. He competed in 26 tournaments in his stint with the Cougars and earned 14 top-10 finishes, including four-straight to end his sophomore campaign. He also played top-20 finishes in 18 tournaments, including 11-of-13 events as a sophomore. The Preston, Lancashire, England, native played a historic tournament at the SAS Championship DI HBCU Invitational in which he won with a three-round score of 207 (72-66-69; -3). Hogarth became just the second player in program history to earn an individual event victory and set the school’s 54-hole record low score at 207.
Hogarth finished both his freshman and sophomore seasons with top-4 finishes at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, a tournament created with the goal was to elevate the game at minority colleges and universities by providing student-athletes with the opportunity to compete on a championship stage during an era when they were excluded from playing in many collegiate golf events. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Hoosiers.
Indiana University incoming Freshman Volleyball player Ramsey Gary Named 2023 JVA All-American
Incoming freshman libero Ramsey Gary earned another All-American honor, adding to her impressive array of accolades following an outstanding club career for Munciana. Gary was named to the 2023 Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) All-National Team, powered by Fivestar, which recognizes the top female indoor volleyball players competing for a JVA member club in the 15s-18s division this season.
The Pendleton, Ind. native was one of four liberos and one of 23 athletes total in the 18s division and class of 2023 to earn All-American honors from the JVA. The 5-foot-7 Gary was a starter and captain in the Under Armour All-American Game in January where she recorded 11 digs in a winning effort. She also tallied 32 digs in a victory at the IHSVCA 3A/4A All-Star match in November. Gary, and club teammate Ava Vickers will arrive on campus in July while fellow incoming freshman and setter Luca Fickell is already on campus and getting ready for the 2023 season.
Indiana University Pfau Course ranked # 2 in the State by Golfweek Magazine
The Pfau Course at Indiana University has earned another impressive accolade. Golfweek released its state-by-state rankings of the “Best Courses You Can Play” this month, and placed IU’s home course at No. 2 in the state of Indiana. The highly respected national publication utilized a nationwide network of course raters to tab The Pfau Course in the runner-up spot behind The Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind. French Lick’s other top layout the Donald Ross Course tied The Pfau Course for No. 2 on Golfweek’s list, while the Warren Golf Club in South Bend and the Ackerman-Allen Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette rounded out the publication’s top five in Indiana.
To be eligible to be included on the list, the course must provide public access in some fashion. That could include not only standard daily green fees (which is offered by The Pfau), but also course access through an affiliated hotel. The Pfau Course has been ranked in the top three in Golfweek’s rankings in each year since first opening in 2020. The Pfau was ranked No. 2 in 2021 and No. 3 in 2022.
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