Indiana University Softball names Kendra Kirkhoff Assistant Coach
Softball head coach Shonda Stanton named Kendra Kirkhoff as the newest addition to the Indiana program. Kirkhoff joins the staff after serving as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina Greensboro for the past two seasons. “I am thrilled to announce Kendra’s hiring and to welcome her, her husband David, and daughter Kayden home to Indiana,” Stanton said. “As a prolific hitting pitcher, Kendra is a versatile addition who can help oversee our offense and work in the bullpen alongside associate head coach Chanda Bell. Her Indiana ties are a plus in terms of recruitment, given our strong intention to continually and actively recruit in-state. Kendra has been a winner at every stage of her career, from playing to coaching, and her knowledge and work ethic will greatly benefit our student-athletes.”
While at UNCG, the Spartans were the 2022 Southern Conference Regular Season Champions and in 2023 claimed both the regular season and tournament Championship while advancing to the NCAA tournament. Kirkhoff helped mentor the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year. “I am so grateful for Coach Stanton and the opportunity to work with such a great staff and an outstanding group of student athletes,” Kirkhoff said. “I can’t wait to get to work and be a part of the continued success of the Hoosiers!”
Prior to her time at UNCG, Kirkhoff held a three-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida coaching the Knights to a 96-45-2 record. UCF earned their eighth NCAA tournament bid and the Knights advanced to the regional final.
Kirkhoff, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist, began her coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Florida State during their 2018 national championship season. Before beginning her coaching career, Kirkhoff was a member of the University of North Carolina’s softball program from 2014-2017 and named an NFCA Second Team All-American in her final season. The captain and All-ACC performer was a tremendous two-way player and as a senior posted a .374 batting average with 21 home runs and 68 RBI along with an 11-4 record in the circle leading the Tar Heels to the NCAA Regional Finals.
In her playing career, Kirkoff appeared in 208 total games, starting 206 of them and totaled 188 hits, 52 home runs, 168 RBIs, 378 total bases, 81 walks, and just 52 strikeouts over 587 at-bats. Kirkhoff finished second all-time at UNC in career slugging percentage, home runs and RBIs, third in total bases and eighth in walks. Inside the circle, Kirkhoff made 114 pitching appearances, posting a 45-29 record with 496.0 innings pitched. As an NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete, Kirkhoff earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science from UNC in 2017. She completed her Master of Science degree at Florida State in 2018.
Jalen Hood-Schifino shines in the California Classic for the Los Angeles Lakers
Jalen Hood-Schifino continued to have success attacking the rim for the Los Angeles Lakers during the California Classic summer league in Sacramento, Calif. He had 20 points on Wednesday night in the Lakers’ 109-99 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Hood-Schifino, who was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year during his one season at Indiana, was the No. 17 overall pick by the Lakers last month. He was 8-for-17 shooting from the field and added four assists and three rebounds. But he also had five turnovers and was 0-for-4 from three-point range. Hood-Schifino has been impressive attacking the rim during these two games in Sacramento, and the Lakers are hoping that continues when they move on to the Las Vegas Summer League. All 30 teams are in Las Vegas, and the Lakers open play tonight against the Golden State Warriors at 11pm Bloomington time on ESPN.
Hood-Schifino got his first taste of NBA action on Monday night, scoring 15 points with five rebounds and four assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer league loss to the Miami Heat in Sacramento, Calif. He struggled to get shots to fall early but was much better in the second half. He finished 6-for-19 from the field in 29 minutes but missed all five three-point attempts. Miami led throughout and won, 107-90. Former Michigan State star Max Christie led the Lakers with 17 points. Hood-Schifino showed a lot of good things in running the Lakers’ offense, attacking the basket often and beating defenders off the dribble constantly. He also played well defensively.
Trayce Jackson-Davis agrees to a four-year deal with the Golden-State Warriors
Former Indiana star Trayce Jackson-Davis bet on himself and he won. On Wednesday he agreed to a four-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, with the first two years fully guaranteed. That’s a first-round type of deal for Jackson-Davis, who was picked with the 57th overall pick in the second round by the Washington Wizards as part of a deal to wind up in Golden State, a title-contending franchise that considered the Indiana All-American a first-round talent all along.
In the NBA, all first-round picks get four-year deals with the first two years guaranteed. Second-round picks are on their own, with no guaranteed money. Jackson-Davis told several teams on draft night two weeks ago that it was what he wanted, and he got it. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. Jackson-Davis had a busy June during the draft process, visiting with more than a dozen teams and working out for each of them. All that work and repeated nights in hotels wore him out a bit, and he’s dealing with a right hamstring injury at the moment, missing the Warriors’ first two summer league games in Sacramento.
He’s hoping to play this weekend in Las Vegas when the Warriors and the other 29 NBA teams descend on the Nevada city for a week-plus of games today through July 17. Jackson-Davis was a first-team All-America selection, and he played in 32 of Indiana’s 35 games, averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.9 blocks per game. He was the first major-college men’s basketball player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in a season in over 25 years.
Minnesota Lynx hand the Indiana Fever their fifth straight loss
The Indiana Fever (5-12) were defeated by the Minnesota Lynx, 90-83, on Wednesday night at Target Center in Minneapolis. Two-time WNBA Rookie of the Month Aliyah Boston was the leading scorer for Indiana in the matchup as she notched 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Boston recorded 16 of her 22 points in the first half alone, which set a new career best for most points in a half. She was followed in the scoring column by forward NaLyssa Smith, who contributed her ninth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Lexie Hull and Erica Wheeler both pitched in eight points each to support the offense. Hull tied a career high as she contributed four of Indiana’s season-high 10 steals on the night. Wheeler dished out a team-high seven assists, with four of her assists being recorded in the fourth quarter alone. In addition, Indiana shot 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the charity stripe. Indiana scored 46 of its points in the paint and all players who took to the court contributed in the scoring column. With her first assist of the night, Kelsey Mitchell recorded her 500th career assist to put her in sole possession of fourth place in the franchise ranks for most assists. With 502 total career assists, Mitchell now follows Wheeler, who ranks third with 624 assists in a Fever uniform. Former Indiana University Star Grace Berger played 5 minutes and hit both her free throws as she was 0-2 from the field and picked up 2 fouls.
The beginning of the first half was defined by back-and forth play. With roughly four minutes remaining in the quarter, the Lynx started to pull away with a 13-5 scoring run to close out the first frame ahead of Indiana, 26-19. Six players contributed to the scoring column in the first quarter, highlighted by Boston’s eight points and Hull with four points. Indiana was successful in cutting the deficit as they answered with a 13-6 scoring run of its own to open the second quarter. Boston pitched in eight points and closed out the half with a new career best for most points in a half. In addition, Smith scored her first field goal of the matchup at the 3:56 minute mark and finished the quarter contributing eight points as well. Though never taking the lead, the Fever maintained their momentum to finish out the half trailing, 47-42.
Smith guided the Fever in the third quarter as she added eight more points of her own on 3-of-6 shooting. Indiana brought a nine-point deficit within five in the final minutes of the quarter, but it was two completed free throws from Lynx guard Lindsay Allen with 0.6 seconds remaining that put Minnesota ahead by seven going into the final frame, 71-64. Though Indiana held Minnesota to 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from the floor in the final frame, the Lynx held on to the lead, extending it to as many as 12 points at one occasion. Indiana inched closer to the lead with the help of Wheeler’s four assists, Boston’s six points, and Hull’s two steals in the fourth quarter, but the Lynx responded to their every move and kept Indiana from overcoming the deficit.
With the win, Minnesota earned its fourth consecutive win on Wednesday night. Lynx forward Napheesa Collier led all scorers in the matchup as she notched 32 points in her fourth 30-point outing of the 2023 season. She was supported by Kayla McBride who contributed 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor and 6-of-6 shooting from the free-throw line. Lindsay Allen pitched in 16 points and dished out six assists. The Fever head to take on the Washington Mystics at 7pm this evening. Tonight’s game will be broadcast on ION.
Southern Indiana Bobcats get a forfeit win over the Dayton Seminoles
The Southern Indiana Bobcats were to host the Dayton Seminoles Sunday afternoon at Edgewood HS in Ellettsville, but that game has been canceled due to the Seminoles ceasing operations for the rest of the season. The Bobcats will be awarded a 2-0 forfeit victory and push their record to 3-3 on the season with four regular season games left. The Bobcats have a 29-14 win over Kentucky Spartans and a 2-0 forfeit victory over the Columbus Bredren Knights. The Bobcats have lost to the Indiana Tornados and twice to the Indy Bison Red.
The Bobcats will have an intersquad scrimmage on Sunday at 3pm at Edgewood HS as a replacement to the game. The Offense will wear Green and the Defense will wear black. The Bobcats will host the Kentuckiana Calvary on July 15, and the Columbus Gladiators on August 5, at Edgewood HS. The Bobcats will travel to the Northern Kentucky Wolfpack on July 22, and the Cincinnati Dukes on July 29. The game against the Calvary will be Edgewood HS Appreciation and Alumni Night.
Indiana Pacers announce Coaching Staff Changes for the 2023-24 Season
The Indiana Pacers coaching staff will look a little different for the 2023-2024 season. As the Pacers are getting ready to start the Summer League, head coach Rick Carlisle announced some changes. Assistant coach Ronald Nored is joining the Atlanta Hawks staff under head coach Quin Snyder. He joined Carlisle’s group in July of 2021 when Carlisle was first hired as the team’s head coach. Jenny Boucek will take Nored’s front-row seat as assistant coach. She joined the Pacers at the same time as Nored and came with Carlisle from Dallas to Indiana. Jim Boylan will take Boucek’s role behind the bench. Boylan was an assistant with the Pacers in 2011-12 under Frank Vogel and served as a consultant for the organization last season. Before re-entering the Pacers organization, Boylen was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls and spent two seasons with the organization before being released from his duties after a 39-84 record without a playoff appearance.
In May, Carlisle hired former Iowa guard Connor McCaffery. Among his tasks as an assistant, he will help to run the scout team and assist with film study. Also in May, assistant coach Calbert Cheaney announced his departure from the Pacers staff to join his alma mater Indiana Hoosiers. Cheaney was on Nate Bjorkgren’s staff in 2020 but stayed with the team when Carlisle was hired the next season. Isaac Yacob will take the role as the player development coach and Martin Tombe will take over as head video coordinator. Carlisle believes that the Pacers coaching staff for the 2023-24 season is now complete while the roster is changing amid free agency.
Follow us on Facebook
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson